


I Didn't Want This Either

by HazelTheHorrific



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Is a Good Bro, Detroit Police Department (Detroit: Become Human), Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, F/F, F/M, Gavin Reed Backstory, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed Not Being an Asshole, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Good Parent Amanda (Detroit: Become Human), M/M, Slow Burn, Soft Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 123,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27901294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelTheHorrific/pseuds/HazelTheHorrific
Summary: When you had been transferred to a new police station, a prickly human and a stoic android were the last things you had expected to gain from it. Whether they were a burden or an asset, you couldn't be sure at first- but some time together solidifies your thoughts on them and they really aren't as bad as you originally thought.As a group of deviants terrorizes the town, you, Gavin and Nines are the perfect team. Kicking robot (and human) ass and solving crimes together, your adventures couldn't be more amusing. Beneath it all is a blooming relationship as our favourite asshole, Gavin Reed, learns to trust more than just his stupid Tin Can.
Relationships: Gavin Reed & Reader, Gavin Reed/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 53





	1. Prologue

Monday, October 18th, 8:30 am

Central Police Station

As you push open the thin glass doors, your new workplace presented in front of you, you spot an android behind the receptionist desk and are struck with an odd sense of familiarity. You had just been transferred from the police station down in the heart of Detroit, and this receptionist android, an ST300, was the exact model as in your old workplace. The brunette android blinks at you and smiles as you approach her desk. 

"Can I help you?" she asks simply, a slight tilt to her head. Her face is lightly freckled and her eyes are a warm brown. Her smile never wavers as you explain yourself. 

"Yes," you begin, resting one hand on the counter, "I've just been transferred here from the station downtown?" other than that, you had no real information. You weren't told who to look for, or which desk to occupy. You had just been told to ask the receptionist android for direction. The ST300 nods her head.

"Do you have authorization?" you nod your head at her words and pull an access card from your pocket, sliding it across the desktop, face up, for scanning. With a quick glance, the LED of the ST300 blinks yellow, and then she looks back up at you. "You will be partnering with a Detective Reed and his android. Detective Reed is out of the building at the moment, but you can go ahead and locate his android, the RK900 for further instruction." To the right of the receptionist desk were glass gates, yellow lettering down the middle spelling 'restricted access'. As you approached the familiar gates, they swung open with a quiet beep. Now you stood in the station itself, desks lined up in neat rows throughout the center of the room. To your immediate left was an android docking station, all models you recognized from your own workplace.

"An RK900..." you mumble to yourself, wracking your brain for what this android would look like. You knew quite a lot about androids, but the RK900 was a model you hadn't seen before. It was a prototype, one step up from its predecessor, the RK800. You hadn't seen that model either, and had no idea what -or who- you were looking for. Turning to the single docked police android in the docking station, you tapped it gently on the shoulder and it turned to face you with a flat expression. It was a PC200, with dark hair and a familiar uniform. 

"How can I help you?" the male android asked, blinking once. 

"I'm looking for Detective Reed's android, an RK900? Are you able to point me in the right direction?" you hold your hand to your chest as you ask, your head taking on a slight tilt. 

"Detective Reed is out of the building right now, but his android, the RK900 should be waiting at it's desk." the PC200 repeated what the receptionist had said, raising a hand and pointing to the desks to the farthest right, two desks down from where you currently stood. A tall man, or android, you guessed, was sat facing you, his eyes trained on his police database. You turned back to the PC200, offering a smile and a quick thank you. The android returned to a docked position as you spun around and made your way towards who you assumed to be the RK900. As you approached, you took in the sight of him. The bot had brown hair, swept perfectly to the side, and a sharp jawline. He wore a white turtleneck jacket with black shoulders, a stripe of black running along the zipper edges of either side of the jacket. A blue band ran across his upper arm, and a blue triangle sat on the left of his jacket. 

"Hello?" you called quietly, catching the androids attention. His head rose slowly, his icy blue eyes meeting yours. The LED on the right side of his face blinked yellow, and then returned to that classic Cyberlife blue. 

"Hello Detective (L/N)." the android said, standing from his seat and folding his arms neatly behind his back. "I've been expecting you. Did you have any trouble finding the station?" now that you were closer, you could clearly read RK900 on the right side of his jacket. 

"No trouble at all. You're Detective Reed's android, right?" you stopped a few paces away, glancing quickly to your right to see a nameplate balanced on the edge of a rather organized desk. It read Dt. Reed. You were rather surprised that you hadn't gone to the wrong desk- you were used to slipping up like that. 

"Yes, that would be me. Detective Reed should be back momentarily. I apologize for the delay- the coffee machine is currently out of order and he insisted on picking some up from the cafe next door." You waved a hand dismissively, smiling at the RK900 and assuring him that it was no problem. He nodded in response and stepped away from the desk that he was previously sat at. "This is your desk- I hope you don't mind that I was checking through the database. I wanted to make sure that everything was in order for our new Detective." The android explained as he extended an arm in a welcoming manner. Your smile widened into a grin as you approached your new desk. The nameplate already read Dt. (L/N), and you wondered why you hadn't noticed that detail until just now. You glanced once more over at Detective Reed's desk, excited to meet him as well. 

"So, what's Detective Reed like?" you were more than curious, glancing at your new android partner as he moved to stand beside your desk. His presence was almost menacing, and now that you were sitting down you could really grasp just how tall this android was. He was a giant. The android's lips twitched up in a smile for a fraction of a second as he turned his head towards the entrance gates. 

"Why don't you see for yourself?" 

"Where the fuck were you, you Plastic Prick?" a snarl rung through the station, the host of the voice seeming not to care about anyone else who might be working. Then, rounding the corner was the host himself. He had brown hair and stubble lining his chin, with a dark brown leather jacket hanging over one arm. He was wearing a black shirt and dark blue jeans, his badge on his left hip. In one hand he balanced car keys on his index finger, a tray of coffee cups balanced precariously on his the other three fingers and thumb. In the other was yet another tray of coffee cups. A scar ran across the length of his nose from left to right, and his grey eyes burned with anger. "I told you to meet me there! I almost dropped all this shit!" The RK900 simply tilted his head, blinking innocently. 

"I'm sorry, Detective Reed. I'm not permitted to leave the premises unless it's to investigate a crime scene- or, alternatively, if the day is over and I must accompany you home. I also thought it was a smart idea to remain here and greet our new Detective." The tone in the androids voice was as innocent as ever- too innocent, in your opinion. You immediately knew that the bot was trying to make Detective Reed angry. Reed didn't acknowledge the ending of his partners sentence, setting down his trays of coffee and jabbing a finger into the taller one's chest. 

"You're my fuckin' android, okay? I go out of my fuckin' way to get coffee for all of these assholes and you downright disobey just to piss me off?" 

"I'm sorry. I'll do my best to please you in the future. This is a learning experience for us all." You had to bite your tongue to stop from laughing as the sheer pettiness in the voice of the RK900. Gavin was about to speak again when his gaze flicked to you. Confusion scrawled across it and he shoved the RK900 aside with on hand, the android moving fluidly with it. 

"Who the fuck are you? What are you doing near my desk?" Gavin planted his hands on the edge of your desk, missing the nameplate and scowling right at you. 

"I'm the new Detective here. He said that this was my desk." you pointed towards the RK900. The RK900 nodded his head in confirmation, and began to elaborate on the situation. Halfway through his speaking, Reed turned to face him. 

"Detective Reed, do you remember what Captain Fowler said to you last week? it was Monday, October 11th at 9:13 am." The android tilted it's head as Detective Reed furrowed his brows. 

"He said I needed to start getting along with my fucking coworkers." Reed crossed his arms, his scowl still lingering. He tapped his foot impatiently. 

"Yes, but he also said something else. He announced the arrival of our new Detective, Ms. (L/N). He also told you that she would be our new partner-"

"What?" Reed burst forwards, the words having barely left RK900's mouth. "You have got to be kidding me!" he glared back over at you, then right back at his android. 

"No, I am not kidding you. She is a trained detective with an extensive knowledge on androids. She will be an asset to our team." Reed shook his head, taking a few steps backwards. "I know you might not get along with her- you don't seem to get along with anyone, but she has been a delight to interact with as of late and I expect you to treat her with mutual respect. Captain Fowler has instructed me to keep him updated on your relationship. He isn't afraid to punish you if you mistreat our new partner." 

"I really don't mean to inconvenience you, but I hope we can get along." you pitch in with a warm smile. Detective Reed hardly seems to hear you as he continues to glower. 

"First a fuckin' android and now another stupid partner?" he grumbles under his breath, just loud enough for you to piece together his sentence. "I can't fuckin' believe this." he let himself fall into his chair, tossing his jacket over his shoulder. A moment of awkward silence passed, and then Reed spoke again. "Pass out this fuckin' coffee, Tin Can. I'm sure as hell not doing it." The RK900 picked up the two trays of coffee, letting Reed snatch one before turning to you. 

"Would you like a coffee, Detective?" he asked politely, and you smiled, gratefully taking one of the warm beverages and resting it on your empty desk. you watched for a moment as the android continued on down the rows of desks, offering coffee to the other officers and leaving you alone with Detective Reed sitting across from you. Reed pulled out his cell phone, scanning along something on the screen before tossing it onto the desk with a heavy sigh. His gaze landed on you, and you could still see the anger in his cold eyes.

"The fuck's your name?" he asked bluntly, balling his hands into fists on his desk. 

"(Y/N) (L/N)." you replied back, attempting to flash another warm smile. Reed noticed the smile this time, scoffing and averting his gaze. "Does he have a name?" you ask, and then elaborate upon seeing Reed's confused expression, "Your android, I mean." Another scoff, and Reed answers. 

"It calls itself Nines." you shift uncomfortably at the way Reed addresses his partner, as if it were no more than an object. Reed was one of those guys. 

"Nines? How long have you been working with him?" subconsciously, you fit the word 'him' into your sentence just to see how the other Detective would react. He doesn't seem bothered by the pronoun, and shrugs his shoulders at the question itself. 

"My days are nothing but a painful blur with that piece o' shit." you can tell that the conversation is over as Reed sips at his coffee, seemingly invincible to the high temperature of it as he logs into his police database. Trying to keep it quiet, you let out a sigh of your own and turn to your own hologram computer. Tapping away at the keyboard, you type in your information and are welcomed into the Central Station archives. Simple enough- you remember how simple the databases were to use in your old station, and a pang of homesickness hits you. Your old partner was never as difficult as Reed was. Minutes passed as Nines continued to go from desk to desk, finally returning and seeming to ease the tension with his presence alone. 

"the coffee is all distributed, Detective Reed. Is there anything else I can currently help you with?" Nines folds his arms behind him once more as he addresses Detective Reed, the shorter man denying the question with a grunt and a shake of his head. "Very well." Nines' ice blue gaze turns to you, "And how are you? I hope Detective Reed wasn't unpleasant while I was busy."

"I'm good- all signed in and scanning over the latest cases." you shoot Nines a thumbs up. He nods his head, which then returns to an idle position staring off into space. 

***

The three of you had been perfectly silent for a while now. Nines blinked now and again, but other than that he didn't speak, allowing tension to rise between you and Reed once more while the two of you worked. You had finished reading the newest cases, and were now filling in a transfer report for Captain Fowler while Reed typed rapidly away, filling out files of his own. It wasn't completely silent, with other officers passing by and offering swift greetings or welcomes in your direction. A few even thanked Reed for the coffee in a futile attempt to be kind. The sour Detective never even glanced in their directions. You jumped as Nines spoke suddenly, his head pivoting towards Reed. 

"I was just informed of a new case, Detectives." his head turns to you as he continues, blinking as slowly as ever, "A murder in a home not too far from here. Captain Fowler would like it investigated immediately. He is concerned that the culprit may harm others in the wake of this murder." 

"Great." Reed sighed, but didn't otherwise complain as he stood from his seat and slipped into his leather jacket. He was about to turn to leave when he glanced at you. "You coming or what?" he asked, raising his hands to his sides and then letting them fall back down again. 

"Oh- of course, sorry. I didn't know I'd be jumping into the field so quickly." you leaped hastily from your chair, brushing a loose strand of hair from in front of your face and stepping away from your desk. Reed grabbed his keys from his desk and spun on his heel without a word. 

"Would you like me to drive Detective Reed?" Nines asked, only to be answered with a middle finger and a 'fuck no'. Nines seemed unfazed. You hurried to keep up with them as you made your way out through the glass gates, waving at the receptionist android and exiting the building into the streets, a light rain beginning to tumble from the sky.


	2. Abigail Coles, Age 34

Monday, October 18th, 10:16 am

1762 Ambassador Lane

The car ride had been silent, with Nines sitting immobile in the back seat, Detective Reed gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles and an annoyed expression, and you with your hands folded neatly in your lap. No one said a word until you were pulling up to the scene. 

"This it?" Reed asked as he slowed his car down in front of a two-story home with a white exterior and black shingles on the roof. 

"Yes, this is it." Nines confirmed, and reached for the cars door handle. Reed and you both did the same, stepping out into the morning air once more. The rain had picked up slightly, wetting your hair until Nines approached your side and opened up a large black umbrella. Reed joined the two of you on the opposite side of Nines, sheltering from the rain. You were certain that if it weren't raining he would never stand this close. Nines kept perfect pace with the two of you as you approached the scene of the crime, other police cars parked out front with their lights flashing. A yellow band of hologram police tape circled the entirety of the homes lot, with police androids posted along it. Stepping onto the sidewalk, the three of you followed along it until you reached the path leading up to the front door. A PM700 stood with her arms clasped before her, monitoring those who entered and left through the police tape. As Nines attempted to pass by her, she held out an arm and met his gaze. 

"I'm sorry, androids are not permitted-"

"It's with me, asshat." Detective Reed cut off the PM700 and strode right past, shoving her arm out of the way. You apologized for his behavior quietly, making sure he didn't overhear. The PM700 just nodded her head at you and returned into an idle state. Officers, four, were stood on the front porch chattering to one another. They noticed Detective Reed, and went silent, one of them breaking away to stand closer to the front door. It is a woman with black hair and brown eyes, and a name tag that you read as Officer Chen. She smiles at the three of you while the other officers send Reed obvious dirty looks. 

"What's happening here Tina?" Reed asks, stopping after ascending the stairs and taking shelter underneath the porch's roof. You and Nine's stop halfway up the stairs, still sheltering underneath the umbrella. 

"Nice for you to finally drop by." Tina said her words with a smile- the traffic on the way here had been pretty bad, but it was obvious that she wasn't angry with your lateness. As the two began to chatter together- not yet about the case- Nines began to speak to you.

"This is Officer Tina Chen. She works in the precinct, and she also happens to be one of the only other officers who will put up with Detective Reed. You may see her quite often." With a nod of your head, you both tune back into the report. 

"Alright, so here's what we have so far." Tina began, leaning on the pillar supporting the porch roof, "The victim is Officer Abigail Coles, a police officer from Ambassador station. She seemed to have been killed with blunt force trauma to the head. We aren't sure of the full story yet, but we have her husband Peter Coles on the way to our station for questioning."

"Where's the body?" Reed crosses his arms as he speaks, and Tina motions for the three of you to follow her.

"Be ready. This is no rookie case... there's a lot of blood." You're led through a pristine white doorway, Nines shutting the umbrella as you step inside. The house is outfitted with rather large windows and a rather monochromatic interior. To the left is a living room with a boy window and a sofa facing a large TV, and to the right is a dining room that looks like it's been completely flipped upside down. The chairs are overturned or smashed to pieces, and the table was broken down the center. A window was smashed out, glass shards scattered along the inside of the window. One of those shards was covered in blood, both red and blue, though the Thirium on the weapon was much more obvious.

"Jesus..." you mutter under your breath at the sight of the pure chaos. You're unable to imagine just how terrifying the atmosphere if this room would have been as the fight went on. 

"Jesus is right- but it only gets worse." Tina smiled at you, a sad sort of smile as she continued to lead the way through the chaos. Now, you saw a kitchen with a backdoor, and to the left two sets of staircases, one going up and one going down. Blood was spattered along the walls and floors, with bloodied shoe-prints here and there. Tina led the way downstairs, into the basement. She moved slowly at the bottom of the steps and you noted down spatters of blood staining the carpet on the floor at the bottom. "And here she is, Abigail Coles herself." Tina stepped away from the stairs, turning to the left. In the corner, with her skull bashed in, was Abigail. The walls all around her were coated with blood and bone fragments, and a shovel was discarded to the side, coated in the same red liquid. Blue blood also pooled on the floor, but this time the human blood was much more prominent. It was everywhere. 

"Fuck..." It was Reed's turn to be taken aback, running a hand quickly through his hair and losing his steely composure for a second. Soon, with a deep breath, he was back to his normal self, turning to you and Nines. "Don't fuck up my crime scene." he warned with furrowed brows, and then directed his gaze at Nines. "Do your thing, Tin Can. And make it quick. I don't want to be here longer than I have to be." With a nod, Nines leaned the umbrella against the wall and approached the body, kneeling down to closer examine it. You took off as well, not wanting to look at the body any longer. Instead, you approached the discarded shovel. The tip of the shovel was dented, soaked with blood that stained the carpet underneath. It had a wooden shaft and a dark green grip handle. The tip itself had once been silver, but now was a glistening red. As you examined without touching the evidence, Nines stood back up, announcing his newest findings to the room as Reed stared at the blood on the stairs. 

"Abigail Coles, 34 years old. She was hit in the head 17 times with a shovel, 13 of these times after she was already dead. She also has a broken wrist, index, and ring finger." Nines' LED was spinning yellow, his jaw tight and his brows furrowed with concentration. "By the precision of the 17 hits, I can't imagine it to be anything other than a deviant." Nines glanced over his shoulder at Detective Reed, "The point of impact is the exact same each and every time."

"Any fingerprints on the shovel?" You ask, standing up from your place. Nines does another scan, and then shakes his head. 

"No. Evaporated blue blood, but no fingerprints. It was definitely a deviant." 

"Let's check upstairs. Tina told me there's shit up in the bedroom too." Reed ordered, both you and Nines following him up the first set of bloodstained stairs, and then the second. On the top floor, the doors were all shut- except for the one at the end of the hallway. You could already see that it was the bedroom in question, and the closer you were the more you could see signs of disturbance. Inside, the blankets on the bed were strewn about, and a few single speckles of blood sat on the hardwood floor. A few grains of dirt sat in the entrance, Nines staring down at them and computing yet another scan. A vase was shattered at the foot of the bedside table, and a woman's shirt was kicked half under the bed. Your gut twisted, and you tilted your head. The shirt seemed important to you, but you weren't sure why. 

"This soil is most likely from the yard surrounding the house. It has the same components as the dirt outside." Nines explained.

"Why the fuck did you examine the dirt outside?" Reed scoffed, and Nines blinked at him slowly. You knew a snide comment was on its way. 

"In case anything like this happened, Detective Reed. I'm sorry, next time I won't analyze it." the way Nines apologized seemed to tick Reed right off. Your gaze flicked back to the shirt as Reed asked who's blood was resting on the hardwood. 

"I would assume Abigail's, but it's safe to check." Nines pushed past Reed, kneeling in front of the blood. With two fingers, his index and his middle, he dipped them into the scarlet puddle pooling on the floor. Before Reed could protest, they were raised to Nines' mouth, his tongue sticking out ever so slightly and connecting with his fingertips. Reed seemed to see this coming, and let out a heavy sigh. 

"Fuckin' disgusting piece of shit. So? Who's is it?" 

"Peter Coles, age 37. The husband." 

"But he's not dead, is he?" you tap your foot and chew on your bottom lip. 

"No, he's not dead. He's on his way to Central Station as of now. I believe he fled the scene- he wasn't the one to contact the police." the RK900 spoke smoothly and glanced from you to Reed, and then back to you again. "Do you have something on your mind, Detective (L/N)?" your eyes continuously drifted back to the shirt. 

"Is that Abigail's shirt?" you ask aloud, hoping to god that it was important evidence or else you'd just asked the stupidest question in the world. Nines plucked the shirt from the ground without hesitation, holding the thing by the shoulders with a yellow LED.

"What does it matter?" Reed sighed, and turned back towards the door to exit. 

"This isn't Abigail's shirt." Reed stopped as the android spoke, then glanced over his shoulder. "It holds DNA from Rebecca White. I'm not sure why her shirt would be here on the floor of the master bedroom." Reed turned back around with a stupid grin. 

"I think I can guess." he said with a chuckle, "Come on, let's get back downstairs." The three of you went back down to the dining room, scanning the blood and Thirium and attempting to reconstruct a scene. Nines was fitted with a reconstruction module, which allowed him to, with enough evidence, replay past events in his mind. They're almost always accurate. 

"So what do you think happened?" you ask Nines as you stand in the doorway of the home. He thinks for a moment, and then glances into the dining room. 

"The fight started... in the upstairs bedroom." the three of you made your way upstairs, and Nines continued, "If I had to guess, Peter Coles was cheating on Abigail Coles with Rebecca White. Abigail seemed to have punched Peter in the nose, and that's how the blood got there. From the dirt, I think the deviant came upstairs from the front or backyard with the shovel. Depending on the deviant model we can determine why it had been there previously." the RK900 began to drift back towards the door, out into the hallway and towards the stairs, "The android hit her with the shovel, but not yet in the head. Maybe the arms or legs. She fled out into the hallway, Peter and Rebecca either still in the room or already gone. She ran down the stairs, and the deviant hit her in the head. The fight traveled to the kitchen." now, you three were standing in the kitchen. "She put up a decent fight in here, but wasn't able to make it to the front door. I think she doubled back for the back door, but was cut off and ran for the basement in a moment of panic. She was hit again half way down the basement steps, and fell. That's when she broke her wrist and fingers. She was backed into a corner at the bottom of the steps," now, you were faced once more with the beaten corpse of the poor woman, "And hit another 17 times until she was long dead." 

"Makes sense to me." you confirm with a nod, "Now, the question is- where exactly did the deviant go?" 

"That... I can't confirm. The logical option is the front door, but there were no dirt traces or thirium traces in the house leading to a possible escape." 

"What about the neighbors? Did they see anything? Have we talked to them yet?" Reed piped in, pinching the bridge of his nose. Both you and Nines shook your head. "Then that's what we're doing next." Before you knew it, you were standing behind Reed as he pounded on the neighbors door, an umbrella over your heads. The residents opened it seconds later- a man and a woman, you would guess in their early fifties, wearing nervous expressions. "I'm Detective Reed with the DPD. I'm here to ask you some questions." the couple glanced at each other, and then nodded their heads. 

"We're happy to answer anything." the man said, glancing over Reed's shoulder to you and your android companion. 

"Are you aware of what happened last night next door? Abigail Coles was murdered in her home by a deviant android." Reed began, crossing his arms and leaning his weight onto one foot. Both the older people let their gazes drop, stricken by horror. 

"She was such a lovely woman..." the lady gasped, a hand hovering over her mouth. 

"Did you happen to see anyone fleeing from the home last night? An android or a human? And do you happen to know what model Mrs. Coles owned?" Reed didn't give them a single moment to process the frightening information as the questions kept coming. 

"I'm not sure... we went to bed rather late. I remember hearing a commotion and waking up in the middle of the night. We didn't spend much time trying to figure out what was happening before we called the police, and my wife was watching out the window as we did." the man explained, turning to her. 

"I remember..." she trailed off, and then her gaze raised. "I remember seeing two people- Peter was one of them, I think- headed that way." the woman pointed down the street to the left. 

"Is that all?" Reed confirmed, and the woman nodded. "Alright. Thanks for your time." with a huff, the door was shut again, and Reed turned back to you. "I guess we should start to look around."


	3. Stay Behind Me

Monday, October 18th, 11:23 am

Ambassador Lane

Detective Reed had commanded the other officers into scanning the area alongside himself, you, and Nines. Minutes had passed now, at least thirty, and you still had seen no sign of a deviant, or even an android in general. You combed the streets, checking every yard, under porches, in alleyways- there is no way you would have missed this deviant if you had already passed it. 

"This is fuckin' hopeless." Reed huffed, kicking a small pebble that sat on the sidewalk. It went skittering away, onto the road. A car swept by, rolling right over it. "We've searched blocks and blocks. There's nothing."

"So, what? Do we just give up?" you say with a frown, running your hand through your hair. "We've still got a few more hours 'til our day is over. We should keep looking, at least for a little while longer." 

"Why? It's not like we're gonna find the damn android. It could be anywhere by now." Reed crossed his arms, still in a huff, wearing his signature scowl. 

"Detective (L/N) is correct. It's irresponsible to leave the search site when we still have time left in our day. Plus, if my memory serves me correctly- which it almost always does- the android is injured. I've been keeping my eye out for Thirium traces, and though I haven't found any yet, I'm certain we will soon." Nines doesn't stop walking, holding the umbrella over your heads. A brick building rests ahead, with another building, almost identical, at it's side. It's the end of the residential area, and a thin, dark alleyway slices between the two buildings. "And, my hunch is correct." Nines' eyes are trained on the ground, his blue LED swirling into a yellow as he scans the path of Thirium he must have discovered. You smile, Detective Reed giving his eyes a roll as Nines picks up his pace. You scan up ahead, and let out a gasp. In the mouth of the alleyway is a pool of blue blood, just enough out of the rain that it has yet to be washed away. 

"Look!" you point, and even though Reed doesn't say a thing, he walks a little faster and takes the lead. The alleyway is dark as you stop in the entrance, trash cans lining the walls and a large stack of boxes in the back, where a tall wall blocks off any escape. 

"If our deviant is here, they're a dumbass, cornering themselves. Get to searching- and, for gods sakes, be careful." unholstering his gun, Reed steps into the alley, craning his neck to peer into an open dumpster. You begin to search as well, leaving your gun on your hip without giving it much thought. On a whim, you lift the shiny metal lid off of a trashcan, but the inside is empty. 

"What about this door, Detectives?" Nines peers through the grimy window of a heavy door, pressing against it. It doesn't budge, locked tight. "I can get it open with a little bit of force." Reed nods his head, gun raised, glancing over at you. 

"Stay behind me, (Y/N)." he demands, but you don't put up a fight. As Nines rams his shoulder into the door, shifting it more and more with each hit, the faintest rustle to your right catches your ear. You flick your gaze towards the sound, and spot the pile of boxes. They're wooden crates, wet with rain, the letters previously inked onto their surfaces smudged and nearly illegible. They say something about Cyberlife, but you aren't exactly sure what. Your two partners are preoccupied, so you slip away without them noticing. No harm in that, right? Approaching the boxes, you lean forwards to catch a flicker of movement behind them. Nines bursts through the door, and at the same moment, with a flash of bright red, an android explodes from the shadows with a kitchen knife in it's hand. You let out a startled cry and stumble backwards, the knife swinging down towards you in an arc. It's inches form connected when a broad arm just in front of you, catching the blow instead. There is a tear of fabric, a metallic clang, and a spray of blue blood. 

"Shit!" Reed curses, racing to assist you as the android ducks right past Nines, it's sights still set on you. 

"I thought I killed you!" the android seethed, the LED on it's head blinking sporadically. The knife is swung in your direction once more, and though Nines moves to try and pull you out of the way, he isn't close enough. A hand fastens around your arm nonetheless, jerking you harshly away. The knife slides across the skin on your arm, slicing through your shirt and drawing blood, but at least the knife wasn't driven into your heart. Reed had been the one to save you, and as you tumbled to the ground, safe and out of the way, you felt a swell of gratitude. 

"Do your fucking job, Tin Can!" Reed spat, butting the grip of his gun against the androids head. He knocked it lightly to the side, delaying another attack just long enough for Nines to recover from his earlier attack. You saw a new determination in both of your partners gazes, but they didn't seem to be paying attention to one another's actions. As Nines dove to knock the android to the ground, Reed went in with another swing of his fist. The android seemed to see these coming, and a smile split it's face. It ducked out of the way, and Reed's fist flew right at Nines. The police android hardly had time to react, and then the fist connected. Reed's eyes widened, but he didn't offer an apology as he spun on his heel to watch the android bolting away. Nines was recovering yet again from the confusion, and the sudden jarring strike to the head. "You dumbass!" the acid in Reed's voice didn't seem entirely directed at Nines, but you couldn't dwell on that. The android you were fighting had turned to glance over it's shoulder at the three of you, and then continued on. 

"We have to chase it!" you took control of the situation, ignoring the burning pain in your arm and setting off in a sprint. You pulled your gun from it's holster, and made your way after the android. You heard the thumping of footsteps at your side, syncing with the thrumming of your heart in your chest. You could see the android, and it was limping, leaving blue-bloodied footprints with every step. It didn't stand a chance, and it seemed to be realizing that. It glanced frantically over it's shoulder every few seconds, but kept on running as quickly as it's damaged leg would allow. It dove to the right, down into another alley with a chain link fence at the end. It grew closer and closer to the fence, but you grew closer and closer to it much quicker. It leaped, blue-stained hands gripping the chain link, but it was caught.

"No you don't!" Reed hissed, grabbing the android by the back of of the shirt and pulling it roughly away. Still equipped with a sharp blade, it slashed it towards Reed, but the hit didn't connect before Nines caught it's wrist and gave it a vicious twist. With a click, the android's hand went limp, it's knife clattering to the concrete. You lifted your gun, training it at the android's face and taking in the sight of it. It was male, or at least you thought it was. The skin of half of it's face was deactivated, showing off it's smooth, white android metal. He had brown eyes, and black hair that you knew would have once been smooth and tidy, but was now a mess of tangles and blood. On it's chest was a blue Cyberlife triangle, a crack running along it's smooth, glass surface. The android's arm was twisted, pressed behind his back, and then he was slammed into the chain link fence.

"It's a CK500 android registered under the name 'Neil'. The skin on it's face was deactivated due to blunt force trauma, and the joint connector in it's leg is defective." Nines reported, the android writhing in his grip, but the much more capable android didn't let up. 

"You're an android too! You're an android, what are you doing? Help me!" Neil's voice held a pathetic whine, like a cornered animal. 

"Good work." you say, hands on your knees as you panted for breath. Your heart was still thumping as your adrenaline cooled, and your arm was beginning to burn much more tremendously. That's when you spotted the blue blood staining Nines, and the slice across Gavin's cheek. "Are you guys okay?" You asked, concern overtaking your expression.

"Fine." Reed pinched the bridge of his nose, his hand running up to whisk through his unkempt hair. 

"I'm alright as well. The CK500 didn't hit anything vital." pulling handcuffs from Nines' back pocket, he wrapped them around the androids wrist and spun him around, a hand gripping firmly to his upper arm. Neil dove forwards, and Nines tugged him back as the damaged android began to hiss and spit in your direction. 

"I killed you! I bashed your brains in! You shouldn't have touched him, you shouldn't have touched him!" Neil's LED didn't stray from bright red for even a second. All three of you were frozen in place at his psychotic shouting, and soon his words grew even more vulgar. "I will cut you open, I'll slice you to bits! Run, little human. Run!! You'll be nothing more than mince meat! Nothing more than a pile of flesh!" you averted your gaze, eyes squeezing shut as fear settled in. Reed placed his hand on your uninjured shoulder for no more than a second, before stepping in between you and the android. He threw a vicious punch across Neil's face, shutting the android up instantly. 

"Shut your deviant mouth." he threatened, sliding his gun back into it's holster. "Get him into a car, Tin Man." You didn't see Nines' nod, but heard the footsteps- Nines' even ones, and the limping ones belonging to Neil- as they trudged away. You tried to hide the odd shame you felt at being yelled at by the android by glancing down at the wound on your arm. It was bleeding rather heavily, staining the sleeve of your shirt and running down your arm, dripping off of your fingertips. "You okay?" Reed asked simply, but when you nodded your head he seemed dissatisfied. 

"Really, Reed. I'm fine. It's just a little cut." No, you weren't fine. At least, not as fine as you let on. The cut was burning now, and as you placed your hand over it, attempting to apply pressure and stop the blood flow, Reed sighed. 

"Come on." he didn't elaborate, grabbing your uninjured arm rather gently and dragging you behind him. 

"What? Where are we going?" you ask, attempting to pull away. He lets go, and turns back to you with a frown. You brace yourself for backlash, an insult of some kind, but are taken aback by his words.

"My place is nearby. I'll have Nines take that deviant to the station, and I'll get you patched up. I don't want you bleeding all over my car, or, whatever." you can't help but smile ever so slightly as he turns his head bashfully away. He continues forwards, but this time you follow behind him. He wasn't lying when he said his house was nearby- you were walking for less than ten minutes when you reached it, and he slipped his keys from his pocket and into the front door, pushing it open and holding out an arm for you to pass by, into the house. Inside is much neater than you had expected. The door opened up into a small space, a staircase to the left and a living room to the right with an open-concept kitchen behind the living room. "Here." Reed seemed rather unimpressed with having to show off his home, especially with the way you were gawking at the sight of it. Your jaw was dropped, your eyes bright. Plants were scattered left and right, cacti, ivys, ferns of all types. A little chain of hearts also hung above a window sill, its long tendrils flaunting healthy, heart-shaped leaves. The next thing you noticed as you hurried into the kitchen were two little kitties curled up on the sofa. One was grey, a main coone with a squashed face and a black collar. Next to it was a much smaller cat, a little tabby. This cats collar was a baby pink. you stifled a giggle as he pulled out a chair at the little round table in the kitchen. "Sit down." You did. 

"Your house is... nice." you say, as genuine as ever. He simply shrugs, and pulls a medical kit from below the sink. He sets the white box down on the table, a red cross printed on the front. He popped open the latches on the sides, and flipped open the top. Inside was an array of bandages, needles, thread, antibiotics, and even a small pouch of Thirium, presumably for Nines. Still silent, he pulls out a hefty roll of bandages and turns to more properly face you. You're certain he's avoiding eye contact as he tells you to roll up the sleeve of your shirt.

"Carefully- I don't want you fucking that wound up any worse." Rolling up your sleeve slowly, you take the first close look in good lighting at the wound itself. It's deeper than you had thought- still not warranting stitches, but deep enough that it could get badly infected if you weren't careful. Reed clicked his tongue, shaking his head and rising from his seat once more to grab a rag from a drawer. He turned on the tap, letting his hand sit underneath the water until it was a good temperature. Then, he ran the rag underneath the faucet, soaking it thoroughly before turning off the tap and wringing out any extra water. "I told you to stay behind me, asshole." he mumbled, staring up at you through his lashes for a moment before returning his gaze to your wound. 

"I'm sorry, Reed. I don't know what came over me." you watched as he dabbed gently at your wound. He was careful, surprisingly gentle- a grand contrast to his tone of voice. After cleaning around the wound, he wiped up any blood that had ran down towards your hand. Afterwards, the rag was brought back up to your injury. You sucked in a breath through your teeth, wincing as the cloth came into direct contact with your cut. 

"Shit..." you exhaled shakily, trying to hold back any tears you might have. Under Reed's breath he muttered what you believed to be a quiet apology, but it also might have been your mind playing tricks on you. Another few painful minutes, and the wound was clean, still welling small amounts of blood. Reed pulled out a piece of heavy duty butterfly tape, sticking it to one side of the wound, and then the other, sealing it shut at least temporarily. Then came bandages. He unrolled the bandages around your arm, tight enough to hold, and sealed them in place with a small piece of adhesive tape. 

"There. Now don't go bangin' it around. And don't let the Cap' see that either. He'll have me de-fuckin'-capitated for getting our new Detective injured on 'er first day out in the field." Reed stood from his seat, tossing the bloodied rag onto the floor by the doorway exiting the kitchen to deal with later. The medkit was clicked shut and replaced underneath the sink, and you stood from your seat, staring down at the blood staining your shirt. 

"Shit. I've gotta stop at home or something." you say, keeping your sleeve rolled up. You didn't want to bloody up the prim and proper bandages too soon. Reed sighed heavily, and turned towards the exit to the kitchen. 

"Stay here. For fucks sakes..." he plucked the rag from the ground, then turned back around and made his way into the plant-filled living room, headed for the stairs. He was only gone for a moment, returning with a neatly-folded shirt slung over his arm. He tossed it in your direction without a word. Confusion scrawled on your face, you glanced down at the shirt he had thrown you. It was a simple black shirt with a simple crew neck collar. Nothing special- just what you would imagine Reed to wear. 

"Why...?" you trail off, and Reed rolls his eyes. 

"It's for you, dumbass! We don't have time to stop at your fuckin' house. We have a witness to interrogate. Go... change in there. The bathroom is to the right." Reed pointed towards the kitchen's exit, and your face goes slightly red at the thought of wearing his shirt. You slip past him, out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it tightly behind you. Jesus Christ, this was not happening. You force a deep shaky breath in, and then let it out. No time to waste. Slipping your old shirt off, you wet your hand under the tap and clean away the little bits of lingering blood. Then, you slide Reed's shirt over your head, looking at yourself in the mirror. It was a little too big on you, hanging down just above mid-thigh. The sleeves made it halfway down your upper arm, and it was a little wider than you, but that was okay. At least it wasn't covered in blood. You exit the bathroom, still holding your old shirt, and Reed holds out a hand. "I'll wash that other shirt and bring it back to you tomorrow." he offers, trying his hardest to keep his gaze off of anything but your eyes. You clear your throat and hand the shirt over. 

"Go wait outside," Reed points towards the door, averting his gaze, "I'll go throw this in the laundry." You still couldn't speak a word. It was still raining, so you waited on the porch and cursed to yourself. Nines either had the umbrella, or ditched it in the alleyway where you first met the android. You let your weight shift forwards, leaning on the porch railing, and listening to the thrum of the rain. Your hair was damp- you hadn't noticed until now. During the chase and the walk to Reed's house, the pain had completely distracted you.

"What a day..." you stare down at your hands, picking absentmindedly at your nails until the door opened behind you. You glanced over your shoulder, watching the door as it was shut again and locked. 

"Let's go, before this rain gets any worse. Fuckin' android ditched the umbrella or something." you stood up straight, following at Reed's side. Moments of silence passed, first one, and then two, and then twenty seconds. 

"Thanks, Detective Reed." you say suddenly. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, smiling gently and turning to face him. He glanced over at you, shook his head, and then said,

"Gavin." 

"What?" Gavin? Did he forget your name or something? Gavin was nowhere close. 

"That's my name." Oh. Of course. 

"Ohhh..." you say dumbly, and nod. "Gavin." the name feels natural. He is definitely a Gavin. 

"I don't like it when people call me 'Detective Reed'. That's what that stupid Tin Can calls me." Reed- Gavin, shoves his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, staring straight ahead. "It's fuckin' obnoxious." There he goes again, addressing Nines like an object. You can't help but frown a little, but you know it wouldn't be polite to question him about that just yet. Maybe he has a reason.

"I'll call you Gavin if you want me to." the rest of the walk is silent, though this time the silence isn't as awkward as it was before. You seem to have a generally mutual respect for one another. You know already that Gavin is a little bit difficult to work with, but maybe you can learn to get along with him at some point- at least, enough to get your job done. So far, as interesting as your first day in Central Station was, you don't mind it here. With two new partners and a new part of the city, you found yourself smiling in anticipation. Everything would be just fine... Right?


	4. Interrogation

Monday, October 18, 1:02 pm

Central Police Station

"Welcome back, Detectives." Nines speaks without glancing up at you and Gavin, already preoccupied. He was staring down at his injured arm, his jacket removed and hung over the arm of the chair. 

"How's your arm?" you ask, peering over the androids shoulder to watch him wipe away the last of the blue blood. "It doesn't hurt, does it?" you doubted he felt any pain, and your suspicions were confirmed as Nines shook his head. 

"No, not at all. I don't have any pain processors." when the last of the blood was washed away, Nines set down the rag and stood from his chair. Underneath his usual jacket was a black turtleneck dress shirt, black sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Detective Reed, I have already put in an order for a replacement jacket. It should be here tomorrow." 

"The fuck you tellin' me that for?" Gavin shrugged his shoulders, and then changed the subject. "We have investigating to do. Let's get this over with. 'm sure the 'Cap will want us to talk to both the husband and that android before the day is over." 

"Sure thing." you say with a smile and a quick thumbs up. "Lead the way. I still don't know my way around this place." Gavin shrugs, slipping past you and Nines and heading towards Captain Fowler's office near the back of the building. He leads the two of you to the right of the office, past the break room. A hallway splits off to your left with temporary holding cells, but you breeze right past them, passing a door labelled as a supply closet, a few doors with no names, and finally, a door with the name 'Interrogation Room 1' displayed on the tinted window. Gavin scans his hand on a pad to the left, pushing the door open after a click sounds out. Now, you're in a small, rectangular room that looks almost identical to the one back at your old station. On the wall directly in front of you were two doors, one that would lead to the interrogation room itself, and one that would lead to a hidden room used to overlook the interrogation. The latter is the door that was opened first.

"So," Gavin began, clasping his hands as he filed into the hidden room, "Here's how we're doing this." you followed in right behind, and then Nines stepped in. The door clicked shut behind you. "This dude, uh..." Gavin glanced at the interrogation room's large one-way window, where information was glowing in a hologram form, "Peter, shouldn't be too much of a problem. If we get the story out of him, then we can go talk to that deviant." A man you could only guess to be Peter was sitting inside the interrogation room, a woman at his side. "His girl, Rebecca, or whatever, is here too." The inside of the hidden room was dark, a desk stretching underneath the window with three chairs seated behind it. "I'll get all the info we need, easy peasy, and you two can sit back and relax." 

"Are you sure we shouldn't let Detective (L/N) handle this one? It will be less difficult tan other interrogations. It might be a nice introduction." Nines suggests, but you hold your hands up and shake your head.

"No, no, that's fine. I'd rather interrogate Neil anyways- and hey, I've interrogated people before! I don't need an introduction." you let your hands fall, pulling out a chair and seating yourself, leaning back into it and crossing your arms. "Go do your thing, Gavin." Nines doesn't protest, taking the seat beside you, and Gavin slips out of the room with a smug grin at getting what he wanted. Only a few moments pass before Gavin is stepping back into view, Peter jerking his head upwards from it's previous place facing the table.

"About time! We have places to-"

"Shut the hell up." Rebecca had tried to speak, her brows furrowed, her arms crossed, but no one who knew Gavin would ever try to speak to him like that. 

"Excuse me-"

"Listen, woman!" Gavin slammed his hands down onto the table, making both Rebecca and Peter, who had been silent thus far, jump. "Peter's wife here was just killed. I'm not here to judge your relationship choices, but I am here to solve a murder." Gavin seemed to have stunned both the others into silence, but he continued his rant anyways. "I don't want to be here either, trust me. My day ends in a few hours, and there's a deviant android in the next room who I've still gotta talk some sense into." Peter leaned forwards at the mention of the deviant, and he cut in,

"You caught Neil? Is he okay? What happened? Did he hurt anyone else?" Hope glimmered in Peter's eyes, and burning questions continued to tumble form his lips to no avail. With a huff, Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose, and, raising his voice yet again, cut Peter off.

"I'm the one asking the questions here Peter!" It hadn't even been a full minute, and Gavin was tapping his foot, agitated and growing angry. "Maybe-" Gavin took a deep, calming breath, gathering himself together again, "Maybe if the two of you cooperate I'll tell you about your android, okay?" 

"O-Okay." 

"He needs to calm down a little..." you mutter under your breath, just loud enough for Nines to hear. 

"It's a tactic. He is trying to intimidate them- trying to take complete control of the room." Nines turned to you, blinked slowly, and continued. "In this situation, it isn't entirely necessary, but... I think he's trying to show off a little." Completely out of character, Nines turned to you and gave you a cheeky wink. You thank whatever god may be listening that the room was as dark as it was, because you're certain your face was reddening at a steady pace.

"Your android is a CK500 registered under the name Neil, correct?" Gavin asks, folding his hands behind his back and beginning to pace back and forth in front of the interrogation table. 

"Correct." 

"And was Abigail a co-owner?" 

"Yes, she was."

"Just how long have you had this android? I'm guessing it had a stronger bond with you, seeing how it reacted to the situation I can only imagine went down."

"It hasn't been long. I had Neil when I lived with my parents... 6 years ago, or so. When I moved in with Abigail, he stayed behind until my parents passed away and he was shipped to live with me again. He had hardly met Abigail before that, and Neil had been with us for no more than 3 months before he attacked her." Peter stared down at his hands as he answered, his voice beginning to waver, emotions swimming through his mind at the loss of his wife. 

"Can you tell me exactly what happened? I'm sure Rebecca here can tell me if you aren't up to relive it?" Now, Gavin stopped his pacing, turning back towards the table and crossing his arms. Rebecca shook her head, arms still crossed. She wasn't saying a word. 

"A-Abigail had told me she was working late," Peter swallowed hard, forcing himself to speak in the absence of his mistresses voice, "I invited Becca over. We had been seeing each other for a while now, and I don't think Abigail had... any idea." you scoff, shaking your head. How could anyone cheat on their wife like that? Peter seems to have known Abigail for years, and he risked their entire relationship for a woman like Rebecca, who didn't seem like that great a girl in the first place. "Abi got let out early, I guess, and caught us... in the act. She started freaking out, pushing me around, calling me names, and she even through a pretty heavy punch." Peter pointed to his face, turning it to better show off the dark purple bruise you hadn't noticed. "Neil heard her screaming and came upstairs- he knew about me and Rebecca, and I made him promise not to tell Abi. A-Abigail punched me again just as Neil came into the room, and... and..." Peter finally broke, hiding his face in his hands as his body began to shake with quiet sobs. Gavin didn't pause for a second, turning to Rebecca. 

"Continue on the story for your buddy, why don't you. I know you want to get the hell out of here, and I don't want to keep a mourning man in this shitty place." Gavin pulled out the metal chair on his side of the table, taking a seat. 

"Seriously?" Becca scowled, almost putting Gavin's sour expression to shame. When Gavin didn't tell her he was joking or anything of the sort, she rolled her eyes and continued with an annoyed tone of voice, dripping with acid. "That psycho robot started beating the shit out of her!" Rebecca was fuming, but her words just made Peter visibly more distressed. "It chased her down the stairs- it was insane! Absolutely batshit crazy!" 

"Where did it chase Abigail next? To the kitchen, right?"

"Yes. It fucked up the table, and I think Abigail stabbed it in the leg with some glass or something," The final loose strings were being tied, "Me and Peter booked it. We weren't sticking around to be slaughtered too! That stupid fucking android was deranged! It was cackling like some serial killer psychopathic animal starved for-"

"Enough, Rebecca, enough!" Peter barked suddenly, catching the three other humans off guard. 

"I think that's plenty of information for now. Peter has had enough." You rise from your seat and move towards the microphone, clicking a little red dot on the glass and speaking aloud, "Reed, that's good. Let's let them go." All three of the people in the interrogation room glance towards you, staring at their reflections in the mirror, knowing you're just behind it. You lift your finger from the mic and motion for Nines to follow you out of the hidden room, watching as he scans his hand, the skin disappearing momentarily. With a click, the lock disengages, and you follow Nines into the interrogation room.

"What about Neil?" Peter asks, rocketing to his feet. Rebecca stands up much slower, brushing off her pants and running a hand through her hair.

"Forget about that asshole. I want to get out of here." Becca grumbles, grabbing Peter's arm and beginning to drag him away. He stands his ground, Rebecca spinning to glare at him. "Well? Let's go." 

"No one is stopping you from leaving, Ms. White. In fact, maybe you should step out of the room and await your lover out in the Station's lobby." You could tell that what Nines was saying was not a suggestion, and Rebecca seemed to notice that too. She growled, balling up her fists. She almost seemed like she was going to protest, but then she scoffed, pushing past Peter rather harshly, and then stopping momentarily in front of Nines. She opened her mouth as if to speak, and then slammed it shut again, bumping her elbow harshly into Nines' and stomping away. 

"You okay?" you mutter quietly, and Nines simply nods.

"So, what about Neil? Is he okay?" Peter blurts out as soon as Rebecca has stormed away, taking a few rapid steps towards you, his gaze flickering from Gavin, to Nines, to you, and back again.

"The CK500 is alright. It is suffering from a minor absence of Thirium. Component #9283, the joint connector in it's left leg, is also damaged, but the blood flow will have stopped by now. The loss of Thirium has also stopped the CK500 from recovering a hit to the head, and in result, the skin on that part of the head is temporarily deactivated and unable to recover." With fluent vocabulary, Nines explained Neil's condition as simply as his advanced programming would allow. In the end, Neil was lost, but seemed slightly more at ease after detecting the positive words 'alright', 'minor'm and 'stopped'. 

"Can I see him?" Peter asked after a pause, and though you were on your way to agree, Gavin cut in with a slight chuckle. 

"No way. It's dangerous and unstable. I think it's about time you left." The Detective placed his hand on Peter's arm and began to usher him out of the room, Nines and you stepping to the side and following behind them. 

"Please, I need to talk to him!" Begging, Peter's eyes were watery, glassed over with tears and sorrow. 

"No, seeing your CK500 is not currently advised. It may increase your stress levels and have negative effects on your emotions. I agree with Detective Reed- you should return to your residence and recuperate." Nines stood like a roadblock in the middle of the hallway, barricading the path to the other investigation rooms. 

"Maybe, if we can get Neil stabilized, we can let you see him, but for now it isn't possible. I'm sorry." You brushed Gavin's hand away from the mourning man, placing your own in it's place and guiding him much more gently back towards the precincts bullpen. "I promise I'll keep him safe, okay? As long as he's in our care, he won't be harmed." Peter sniffled, and wiped at his nose, nodding his head.

"Thank you." he says quietly, and doesn't give you a chance to respond as he sets forwards towards the building's exits. Turning on your heel, you return to Gavin and Nines. 

"Lets do this." It's your turn to take the lead, and you take a deep breath in an attempt to clear your head of the pity and distraught you felt for Peter. You had a job to do now, and you had to do it with a steady mind and solid emotions. This android, no matter how much Peter cared for it, was a murderer, and you had to get as much information out of it as possible. You also had an urge to show off to your new partners- you weren't some detective novice, you were as skilled as them when it came to police work, especially when it came to androids. You had practiced reading people with psychotic behavior, and so surely that information would transfer over to Neil. 

"You sure you can do this, newbie?" Gavin asked, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. "I can't afford to have you fuck this up." A chuckle escapes you, and you crack your fingers out in front of you, rolling your neck on your shoulders at the same time. 

"I got this. Don't doubt me as much." For the first time, you press your hand to the door's scanner, watching a pale yellow bar of light run up, and then down along the face of your palm. An oddly victorious feeling runs through you, your confidence boosting as the lock clicks open and you push your way into the first room. You go straight for the door into the interrogation room as Nines and Gavin head for the hidden room.

"Good luck, Detective (L/N). We'll be just behind the glass if you ever feel threatened." you waved your hand, a way to say 'thanks, but I don't need luck' as the two men disappeared behind the door, leaving you to scan your hand once again.


	5. Interrogation Pt. 2

Monday, October 18, 2:47 pm

Central Police Station

The moment you stepped into the interrogation room, the thick sense of terror and despair hit you in the back of the throat. Neil was handcuffed to the table, but he tugged on the restraints, not going a single moment without letting out a tiny hum or grumble of despair. His LED was burning scarlet, reminding you of the blood he'd drawn. That thought helped to push away the searing pity you were beginning to feel for the android. The door clicked shut behind you, and Neil's head snapped to face your direction. His eyes were wild, like those of a feral animal. His eyes had been originally brown, but now they looked pitch black, entirely soulless. Though it seemed impossible, Neil's LED went into an even more intense red at the sight of you.

"You! You again!" Neil was hissing, reminiscent of a feral cat, blue blood dripping from his wrists from being so violently rubbed against the metal of the cuffs. "I killed you, I killed you, I killed you-"

"Neil, right?" you say coolly, and Neil goes dead silent at your calm demeanor. You pull out your chair, taking a seat and folding your hands in your lap. "I am not Abigail Coles. She is dead. You killed her." Neil, who was previously frozen, slowly began to tug on his handcuffs once again. Then, he was right back at square one, in his horrible panic. "I want you to tell me why you killed her. I want you to try and explain to me what you felt." Violently, Neil began to shake his head, growing more sporadic in his movements. "Neil?" you say, still trying to keep calm. His behavior was scaring you. "Neil??" your voice rises along with the androids stress levels.

"I won't say! I won't say, that whore deserved to die!" You winced at the shrill tone of voice that the android had taken on, and you fight the urge to cover your ears. 

"Neil, calm down!" with a steely voice, you rise from your seat, desperate to take control of the situation. You can almost imagine the expression on your partners faces behind the glass, waiting for the correct moment to intervene and tease you for the rest of your life. "Neil!" finally, you meet your wits end and lose your temper, just for a moment. Your voice comes out louder than you'd meant, but it seems to do the trick. Again, Neil comes to a very sudden stop, staring down at the table. "I am not Abigail. I am trying to help you, okay? If you don't cooperate, bad things might happen. Please, work with me." you slide back into your chair. Neil sits as well, his eyes still glued to the desktop, though you did notice that his LED dimmed into a soft yellow. "There are people here who don't care if you are destroyed, but I know... I know that Peter would never want that to happen." 

"P-Peter?" Neil tilts his head up to meet your gaze, and you nod your head.

"Peter. I just spoke with him. He's afraid for you, and I promised that I'd keep you safe, but I can't do that for him unless you help me out here, okay?" 

"Okay. I am sorry." It was as if a switch had been flipped in Neil's head. Now, he was bashful, afraid, apologetic- you knew he would be unstable, but this was almost frightening. 

"What drove you to attack Abigail?" you feel the tension in the room thawing out with every passing second. 

"She was hurting Peter... she was hurting him, I had to do it, I had to do it or she'd kill him-"

"Neil, Neil it's okay- it's okay, I understand." You stopped Neil from spiraling, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding his head. 

"I felt like I needed to... protect him. I was afraid that he would be hurt, and I guess I lost control." Neil's bottom lip was trembling as he spoke, but his gaze met yours and you flashed him a soft smile that soothed his nerves even further. "I didn't mean to kill her, I really didn't. I just..." Neil trailed off, seemingly unable to continue on further. Whether he was growing too emotional, or he couldn't find the correct words, you weren't sure, but you nod your head and give him a moment to recover before asking the next question. 

"You killed her with the shovel, correct?" Neil nodded, "And she damaged your leg with the shard of glass from the dining room window?" another nod. "What were you doing before you went inside to find Abigail hitting Neil?" 

"I-I was in the garden, taking care of the vegetable plants. We grew out own that I used for dinners." Neil began, wringing his hands nervously. He had begun glancing around with a sort of panic to his movements, and you were afraid that, once again, he was edging towards a stressed outburst. "It's my job to take care of the plants. I also cooked and cleaned, but-" Neil cut himself off and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry for getting sidetracked." 

"That's alright, Neil." You pass a quick glance to your right, towards the one-way mirror. You spotted your reflection staring back at you, knowing Gavin and Nines would be either scribbling down notes or sitting there, watching yours and Neil's every move. "Did you speak to anyone after you ran away from the house? Any other people or androids?" Neil's LED went back to red, and he tensed up. 

"No!" he responded too quickly. It didn't take a genius to know that he was lying. 

"Neil, are you sure? You can tell me," you try to press gently, coaxing a response, but he only gets more defensive. 

"No! I didn't see anyone. Not a single person." He was glancing around more frantically now, giving gentle tugs on his hand cuffs and standing slightly from his seat. 

"Neil, you have to tell me if you saw anyone. An android could be hurt, or a human. We have to know if there's someone we need to get medical help for." you lifted form your seat as well, hands set on the table in front of you, trying to seem defenseless. 

"I didn't hurt anyone else. No one."

"Did you see anyone? Anyone at all?" The tension in the room was rising yet again, quicker than ever before. Every second that slid by, Neil was growing more terrified. His LED began to blink, and his eyes were wild once more. "Anyone?!" 

"No! I didn't see anyone! No one! Not a single person, No one!!" The metallic clang of metal handcuffs on the metal table was deafening, repetitive, hypnotic in a deranged type of way. 

"Neil, stop! Calm down, you have to talk to me! I need to know these things or- or-" before you could finish, the microphone clicked on, and Gavin's voice buzzed through the room. 

"CK500, cooperate or we'll have to probe your memory." A memory probe? As far as you knew, a memory probe was one of the scariest things for a deviant android. You'd never worked with one before, but you knew plenty about them from your old policemen friends, and memory probes were never a good thing. Neil's eyes widened, and his stress erupted through the roof. 

"No! No, don't do that! Please, don't do that! They'll kill me, they'll kill me if you find out!" 

"Ck500, I am going to count down from three. If you are not seated," Neil was still screaming, pulling at his handcuffs, blue blood staining the table, "silent and explaining every goddamn detail by then, you will have your memory probed." 

"No!! I don't have- I don't have a choice!" 

"Three."

You had to cover your mouth, tearing your gaze away form the psychopath in front of you.

"Please! Please!"

"Two."

The screams only escalated, and you knew Neil wouldn't give in. It was something he didn't seem to have the option to do. You don't know what was holding him back, but he wasn't budging. 

"I can't tell you!! I can't!" 

"One. Go do your thing, Tin Can."

Only seconds later, the door into the room was open. 

"Please step aside, Detective (L/N). I don't want to risk you getting hurt." Nines was in the doorway, the door pushed open. His expression was as blank as always, and he blinked slowly as you stepped out of the way, looking right past you and directly into Neil's terrified eyes. Nines let the door fall shut, crossing the room towards the CK500 with the determination of an android needing to complete their mission.

"No!! No, no no no no!" the android was standing as far away as he possibly could be, cowering in fear as Nines towered over him, jetting out a hand to catch Neil's arm and force a memory probe. With a shriek that sent a raw shiver down your spine, Neil twisted his body in an unholy manner. He threw himself towards Nines with so much force that his left arm tore in two at the elbow, a spray of blue blood painting the floor and letting the handcuffs slip free. With the arm that was still intact, he reached around Nines and ripped his gun free from his holster. He didn't move to harm you or Nines as you let out a scream, but instead tilted the barrel of the gun towards his chin. Your instincts propelled you forwards, and you grabbed the back of Nines' jacket and gave him the strongest tug you could muster with your shaking limbs. He was in no danger, but he looked shocked, almost afraid, as the bullet escaped the chamber with a deafening bang that left your ears ringing. Neil tumbled to the side, the gun clattering to the floor. The door ripped open, and you jumped, a startled wail escaping you as tears threatened to spill over your cheeks.

"Is anyone hurt? Jesus christ, that fuckin... it didn't hurt you did it (Y/N)?" Gavin was at your side in an instant, his gaze flickering from you to Neil and back again. 

"No, no I'm okay, just a little shaken up. He shot himself, oh my god..!" Nines, cautious, made his way towards Neil, kicking the gun away just to be safe, though you were certain that Neil was dead. You spotted the dull grey of his LED, lifeless and deactivated once and for all. You couldn't bring yourself to look any longer, and you were saved from having to do so as Officer Chen came bursting into the interrogation room. 

"What happened? I heard a gunshot, is anyone hurt? Should I call someone?" she pushed into the room, growing more worried at the sight of your glassy eyes and pale face. 

"It's okay. The android we were interrogating self-destructed." Nines' LED shifted from yellow back to blue, his blue eyes staying glued to the android.

"Tore it's own arm into bits to get at our Plastic's gun. It didn't aim for us, though." Gavin ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh. "It was hiding something- something important."

"I-I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stressed it out like that." You felt guilt bloom inside of you like a disgusting flower. Not only had you gotten Neil killed, you had ruined the chance to gather some potentially vital information.

"It's alright, Detective (L/N). It happens. Deviants are unstable, and they can be irrational. I'm glad no one was hurt." Tine placed a hand on your back in a comforting manner, her eyebrows furrowed. "I'll tell Captain Fowler that you're all headed home for the day. Not even he can expect you guys to work after something like that." 

"Are you certain, Officer Chen? There are still things that we can do around here-"

"Thank you, Tina. I think we should all head home too." Gavin cut Nines off, not passing up a free rest of the day off. And, not to mention, he was pretty shaken up too. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, maybe with a coffee, to watch some TV, and if you knew that that's what he wanted, you would agree wholeheartedly. That sounded perfect.

"Thanks so much." You smile weakly, letting Officer Chen guide you from the room, back into the bullpen. "Hell of a first day, huh?" you chuckle, wiping at your eyes before any tears could spill over. 

"That's one way to put it. It... It's horrible that you had to see that." Tina shook her head, her smile sympathetic and soft. "If it's any comfort, it doesn't happen often. That deviant had something wrong in it's software. It was... well, the android version of psychopathic." You collect your important thins from your desk, slipping your phone and wallet into your pockets and grabbing your car keys. You were ready to head home for the night, and you hoped that all of this would seem like a bad memory by tomorrow. Gavin and Nines were just leaving Fowler's office- you hadn't seen them enter, but at least Gavin seemed in a hurry to leave, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets and keeping his head low as he hurried towards his desk. You shifted your gaze away from him before he could spot you staring, afraid that if he did he'd chew you out for messing up back in that interrogation room. 

"Thanks for the comfort... Tina, right?" you ask, holding out a hand that was just ceasing it's trembling. Tina takes your hand in hers, giving it a steady shake and nodding her head. 

"And you're Detective (Y/N), if I'm remembering correctly." 

"Yeah, that's me." your smile came a little easier now, and Tina gave you a salute of farewell before heading back towards her desk. You closed your eyes for a moment, soothing the last of your frayed nerves and turning towards the Station's exit. You shot one more quick glance at Gavin and Nines, who were basically nose-to-nose, hissing at one another in the midst of some sort of argument. You had wanted to shout a quick farewell but chose not to interrupt, passing right by them as you started forwards. 

"For fucks- I can't believe you, you Plastic piece of shit!" Gavin spat, just loud enough for you to hear. "Fine, fine. (Y/N), wait up!" you slow to a halt, your brows furrowed as you turn to Gavin. Your partner seems beyond annoyed, and he's donning his signature scowl. "That jackass wants me to say sorry for everything that happened in there." Gavin jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in Nines' direction, who was watching your altercation with a steely gaze, making sure Gavin didn't say anything that could even possibly offend you. 

"Why are you saying sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, I was the one who made him all stressed out." you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, forcing a tired smile and wringing your hands together. 

"No, that ain't true. If I hadn't threatened to probe it's stupid memory you might've been able to convince it to talk. I-" Gavin cut himself off, shaking his head. "It's my fault for jumping straight to dumbass fuckin' threats."'

"Really, Gavin, you don't have to say-"

"Just accept-" Gavin almost snapped, forcing his mouth shut for a moment before he replied, much more calmly, "Just accept the apology so the Plastic leaves me alone, please." Gavin's hand rested on the back of his neck, scratching at it awkwardly as he stared down at the floor. You could tell that he had more to say, though you weren't exactly sure what it was.

"Well, then... It's okay. I accept your apology." you were almost as awkward as he was, wearing a tight smile and fiddling with the hem of your shirt.

"Good. That's, uh... that's all I needed to hear. Thanks." Gavin looked back up at you now his hand dropping to his side. "See you tomorrow, or... whatever." 

"Goodnight, Gavin." you peer past him, over to Nines, who looks more or less satisfied with Gavin's apology. You wave at him shyly, and he responds with a simple nod. You turn back around, leaving the precinct without another word to anyone.


	6. Uneventful

Tuesday, October 19, 8:29 am

Central Police Station

Just like you had planned, you arrived back at home and went straight to bed. You didn't bother eating anything more than half of the salad that had been left in your fridge from a few days back, and said you'd shower in the morning- which you had done after devouring a bagel in seconds. Now, you were back outside of Central station, your head cleared. You were honestly ready for another day at work, and you hoped that this one was less... eventful. The morning was just as gloomy as the day before, the skies a dark, brooding grey, the air thick with the promise of a storm. You slammed your car door shut, having already stepped out into the cool air of the Station's parking lot, and started in the direction of the building's main doors, Gavin's shirt- the one he had lent you- hung over your arm. You gripped the shining silver handle of the doors, staring through the glass at the inside, barren of people save for the two ST300's behind the desk, their hair tied up and their eyes distant as usual. As you swung the door open and stepped inside, it was as if they whirred to life, both turning to face you and nodding their heads in greeting in unison.

"Good morning, Detective (L/N)." The rightmost android, the one in charge of the gates, said with a smile, "You are 1 minute early- Captain Fowler will enjoy your punctuality. You can head right through the gates to start of your day." The android raised a hand as the gates began to pivot open with a beep. 

"Thank you, ma'am." you smile back at her, finding yourself wishing she had a name you could address her by. You slipped through the gates into the midst of the precinct, spotting a few familiar faces and two new new ones you hadn't seen before. Making your way over to you desk, you smile at Gavin and Nines, though they didn't currently notice- not much to your surprise, they were bickering, a usual thing for them.

"It really isn't healthy to drink as much coffee as you-"

"Don't you go tellin' me what is and isn't healthy!" Gavin cut Nines off midway through his speech. Gavin had a cup of coffee in his hand, and you guessed he often did. "If I need to drink coffee to keep my eyes open in this boring ass place, then that's what I have to do!" 

"Or you could attempt to get more sleep. Sleep is very important, Detective." you let out a quiet chuckle, listening silently to their conversation as you set your things down on your desk, dropping into the seat and a scraping a hand through your hair. 

"You know what? I'm not even goin' to bicker with you, Tin Can. You don't know what you're talking about." Gavin spun on his chair to face his desk rather than the hallway where Nines was standing, taking a long sip from his coffee and logging into his Police Database. 

"I do know what I'm talking about, Detective Reed. That's my job." Nines waited a moment for Gavin to respond, and when he didn't, Nines turned to face you instead. "Good morning Detective (L/N). I hope you slept well. Would you like me to get you a coffee?" As Nines offered, Gavin let out a dramatic scoff, his arms raising in offense. 

"So she's allowed a coffee and I'm not?" Nines ignored him, and you answered with a smile. 

"Thanks, Nines, I'd like that." Nines nods and hurries away towards the break room, leaving you to greet Gavin. "Good morning, Gavin." your smile lingers from before, but Gavin doesn't return it, his eyes trained on his computer screen as he mumbles a 'mornin'' of his own. "Do we have anything on the agenda today?" you ask, only to earn a shrug in return. 

"Nope. Since that android bit the bullet- literally- we've got nothin' else to act on." At last, Gavin leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting yours as he sipped at his drink once again. "He surely had somethin' else to say, but Cap' doesn't think it's anything we should bother with yet. He just wants us around to respond to calls an' shit." 

"Good," you sigh, shifting to tap your information into your own desktop archives, "I could use a nice, calm day after what happened yesterday." A good night's sleep seems to have buried the most of your unease at the thought of the android suicide, and you found yourself rather excited to be working another day with Gavin and Nines. Other than some files you had to fill out for the case regarding Abigail Cole's death, there were zero plans, and zero need to go out into the field for today. "Oh, and here!" you suddenly remember, tossing Gavin's shirt from your desk to his. He caught it mid-air with impressive reflexes, staring down at it for a moment before remembering why exactly you had his shirt. 

"Shit, right," he said, folding the shirt neatly and setting it on his chair behind him, most likely to keep it concealed, "Yours is in my car. Can I give it to you at the end of the day?" you nod, and are about to speak when Gavin clears his throat, returning to his work. Nines had just reappeared, and it seems Gavin was rather embarrassed to have your shirt in his car.

"Your coffee, Detective (L/N). I put in two creams and two sugars- I hope that works." Nines set a beautiful cup of coffee on the desk in front of you, and your smile only grows as you thank him. He had gotten your order just perfect, and you had to force yourself to let it sit and cool before taking the first gratifying sip. "Let me know if I can be of assistance at any time." folding his arms behind his back, Nines' eyes seemed to lose focus as he entered a sort of half-docked state, his LED still blinking every now and again as he processed his surroundings. 

"Creepy fuckin' thing..." you heard Gavin mutter after a few moments of trying to ignore the blank stare, before shuddering lightly and returning to work after taking another sip of coffee and cursing under his breath. Time seemed to pass quicker and quicker as you filled out form after form, and you were just about finished when Captain Fowler's voice split through the air, jarring both you and Gavin out of your workaholic trances.

"Reed! (L/N)!" both you and Gavin snapped to attention, heads pivoting towards his glass-walled officer. He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression annoyed already. "Both of you, in here, now!" with that, Fowler disappeared back into his office, Gavin rising from his seat in less than an instant. Your immediate first thought was that you had done something to piss off your new Captain. Your anxiety crashed through the roof, and you stood from your chair as well. Gavin didn't look too nervous- maybe he knew what was up? Maybe you were panicking for no reason? No matter, you followed your partner, Nines on your tail, crossing the bullpen and ascending the few steps to the landing right outside of your Captain's office. The door was swung open by Detective Reed, and Nines caught it from behind you, holding it open as you and him both passed through. You muttered a quiet thank you, and heard the door seal shut. 

"What'd we do wrong this time?" Gavin muttered, his voice so low even you, who was directly at his side, had hardly heard it. Louder, he added, "What's up, Captain?" You noticed with a pique of curiosity that Gavin seemed different in the Captain's presence. His back was straight, arms stiff as boards at his side- he looked like Nines, which was a very amusing thought. You never expected that Gavin could be so... professional. 

"Person's home sick today," Fowler began, Person being Officer Person, or Sarah Lee Person- she had the desk directly behind you, "So she won't be taking the beat shift after Miller. I need you two to take her place, at least until we get a call. You should know her route, Reed?" Gavin nodded his head, and then realized the Fowler was waiting for a real answer.

(For those of you who don't know- walking a beat is a terminology used by police force that basically just means patrolling.)

"Oh- Yes, sir. I know her patrol route." Satisfied, Fowler nodded.

"Good, get on with it. There should be a patrol car in the lot. Check in with the ST300 before you leave." 

"Yes, sir." Gavin spoke again, and then spun on his heel and hurried out of the office. Nines and you went right after, saying short goodbyes. Fowler was so serious all the time. His aura was so professional that it was intimidating. You weren't sure you liked it. Back at your desk, Gavin was gathering his things, his shirt included. "Go get us a cruiser, Tin Man. I've gotta stop by my car and I'll meet you guys there." 

"Alright." Nines agreed, turning and making a beeline for the Station's exit. 

"I'll go talk to the receptionist." you offer, and Gavin nods. You follow int he same direction that Nines had gone, tossing your empty cup of coffee into a trash can as you passed one and stepping through the gates. You approached the ST300 on the left, waiting in the short line. It moved quickly, the two people ahead of you being pointed in the direction of the rightmost android to be connected with an officer who could help them. You rested your hands on the desk, smiling as the ST300 welcomed you with her signature greeting.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually," you begin, "Captain Fowler wants me and Detective Reed to take over Officer Person's patrol shift today. We were told to let you know we were taking a cruiser." 

"Alright, I'll sign out the last vehicle we have left under your name. Enjoy your patrol." you were then dismissed, departing with a final smile and turning towards the exit doors. As you left the receptionist desk, a woman took your place. You pushed open the front doors, stepping outside. The clouds, which had been thick and dark earlier in the day, were even blacker than before. It wouldn't be long now before the rain began. You spotted Nines standing beside the patrol car you were looking for, heading towards it just as you heard a door slam and saw Gavin in your peripheral. He had your shirt in hand, and jogged to your side to catch you before you were within earshot of your android partner. 

"Here." he said simply, extending the article of clothing to you. You took it gratefully, and said,

"I'll be at the car in a second. I'm just gonna drop this off here." you pointed with your thumb to your vehicle, which was only one car back from the one you were currently standing behind. Gavin nodded and continued on towards Nines. Slipping your keys form your pocket, you slid them into the car door, giving them a twist and pulling on the handle. You tossed your shirt haphazardly onto the passenger seat and slammed the door shut once more, locking it and cramming the keys back into your pocket. Now, you turned back to the patrol car just as Gavin was getting into the drives seat. As you arrived at the vehicle, Gavin opened the driver side door, eyeing Nines as he opened the passenger door. It was clear that Reed was waiting for Nines to move to enter, so that he could scold him. Instead, and with an almost smug smile at the fact that he was proving Gavin wrong, Nines motioned for you to climb into the passenger seat. "Thank you, Nines." you grin, climbing into the car as Nines shut the door for you and entered through the backseat. The car set into motion, first reversing out of the parking space, and then taking a sharp left to exit the parking lot. For a few moments you were silent, before you spoke up. "I remember when i was just a beat cop." you let out a chuckle, staring out the window as you sailed down the streets. 

"So do I. I don't know how I did it every day." Gavin lets out a snicker of his own, rolling his eyes at the sheer thought of how repetitive those days were. Every day you would wake, walking the same path, winding through streets that got so goddamn familiar they make you sick to look at. You had walked your beat so many times you had counted how many goddamn squares of sidewalk pavement ran along it. 

"Detective work is definitely more... interesting." 

"That android yesterday really had you shaken up, huh?" with one hand on the steering wheel, Gavin propped his other one up with his elbow against the door and his hand supporting his head. He mumbled something inaudible about wanting another coffee, and then added, "Why?" 

"What do you mean 'why'?" you say, furrowing your brows. "He shot himself. That doesn't bother you?" The streets around you continue to slip by as Gavin drives smoothly forwards, shrugging at your question.

"I was only really tense because it had a gun. I'd be tense if anyone had a gun." you honestly didn't understand. How could anyone not be disturbed by that image? 

"I take it you aren't fond of androids." your words come out rather blunt and harsh, but Gavin doesn't seem to take any more offense to them then he would anything else. 

"You got that right." he lifted his head upright once more and his other hand rested on the wheel as well. "Those Plastics are nothing but fuckin' trouble." You silently dared Gavin to say more, to insult them more harshly, and it looked like he was going to. Thank goodness, Nines cut in just in time, having sensed the violently rising tension and putting an end to it before a fight broke out.

"This is a good place to park, is it not?" 

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Gavin slowed the vehicle, shifting it right and riding alongside a curb outside of a rather extravagant jewelry store you hadn't seen before. You stepped from the car, your partners doing the same, and let Gavin take the lead as you began to walk your patrol. 

"I apologize for Detective Reed's behavior. Sometimes he doesn't sense when he's taking a conversation too far." Nines apologizes, but you brush over it with a shrug. 

"People can have different opinions, and he'll come around sooner or later." You weren't actually sure if he ever would- some people were very set in their ways. You were glad that you had been partnered with him nonetheless- maybe you could aid in the shift of his worldview. 

"Where do you stand with androids?" Nines tilted his head, his gaze settling on you as the both of you walked, trailing behind Gavin who was walking much quicker. 

"I think they're great. Sure, they've got downsides, but so does everything else. They help people a lot more than they harm them." you had always loved androids. You had always been told that they were nothing but robots built to serve, but ever since you had been assigned to deviant cases, you had been absolutely intrigued by them and their... sense of life? Maybe that was the word, or maybe it wasn't, but you thought all of that 'errors in their software' crap was pure and utter bullshit. It had only been a matter of time before the high-tech AI in android software evolved into man-made consciousness. Gavin glanced over his shoulder, finally noticing that the two of you were lagging behind. He huffed, and shouted,

"Hurry the hell up. I don't want to be walkin' this all day." Your conversation broke up as the two of you hurried to catch up to Reed, and didn't pick up again for the remainder of your work shift. The three of you spoke every now and again, but no solid conversation ever held as you patrolled the streets for signs of trouble.


	7. Robbery

Tuesday, October 26, 6:22 am

Riverside Hotel

It was way too early for this bullshit. You had recovered entirely from the wound on your arm and the shock of Neil's suicide. Your work had been fantastic- calm, slow paced, relaxing and overall enjoyable. Gavin had been treating you alright, and you were warming up to both him and Nines with every passing day. You had almost forgotten that casework existed- and then, you were woken up by the blaring of your cell phone and Gavin's shouting.

"(Y/N), get your ass out of bed!" Gavin had barked through the phone, deafening your one ear. Someone needed a fuckin' coffee. "Fowler wants us on a case."

"This early...?" you groaned in return, wiping the sleep from your eyes and forcing your exhausted body up from the comfort of your bed. Gavin had gone on to rapidly explain that, at least in Fowler's eyes, this case was an emergency, and the culprits behind it were severely dangerous and would most likely be harming other. You had also made sure to demand Gavin told you where the hell he got your phone number. You were rather unimpressed to hear that Nines had given it to him after searching for it through his mental database. So, at 6:00 in the morning, you were woken up by your prick-of-a-partner and his plastic friend. It was cold as you stumbled out of your vehicle a little under an hour later, having scrambled to shower, eat and complete your morning routine. The hotel you were sent to would have been beautiful if it weren't for the police cars cluttered in the parking lot. Hologram police tape stretched all around the lot, and, just like at Abigail Cole's house, android officers were posted up a few hundred feet apart to keep onlookers away. You curse quietly under your breath, slamming your car door shut and hurrying your way towards the building's main entrance. The sun hadn't even began to rise in the sky yet, and the air was chilly. Detroit had been plagued with rain and cold this last week, so you weren't exactly surprised by the briskness of the morning. You flashed your badge as you passed by a PC200, the man nodding at you as you did so. Gavin was easy to spot- no, actually, that wasn't true. Nines was easy to spot, wearing a white jacket and towering over the other officers like a giant. Gavin was soon seen right at his side, arms crossed, jaw tight with impatience, his foot tapping away like a jackhammer. When he spotted you, he relaxed, letting out what seemed to be a sigh, though you weren't close enough to hear it over the hustle and bustle of the other officers.

"About time!" Gavin hissed, walking towards you and then following alongside you back in the direction he had come. "It's been almost 30 minutes, Fowler's gonna give me a fuckin' earful!"

"Chill out, Gavin. I'm not used to being woken up at 6 am!" you retort right back with an unusual sharpness that seems to take back both of your partners- even the robotic one. "Sorry." your apology comes out in a huff, but it comes out nonetheless and you move on. "So what do you know so far?"

"At 4:00 am sharp the hotel was breached by androids. Deviants, actually." Nines took up the job of explaining what was currently known, his hands behind his back in his usual professional manner. Today, however, he seemed much more serious than usual, if that was even possible. "They seemed to have gone from room to room posing as room service. When tenants would open their doors they'd rob them at gunpoint- rather straightforward, if you ask me." Now, Nines turned to face the hotel, and you followed his gaze as it rested on the front door. "The building was evacuated as soon as the threat was recognized. Anyone who was in potential danger were told to lock their doors and hide. Some people got out, and some didn't. There were also reports of gunshots being fired."

"We need to see if those deviants are still inside. Police locked down the perimeter pretty quickly, but it is possible that they slipped away." Gavin finished off the speech. "People could be wounded." he pulled his gun from his back pocket, sliding out the magazine to check the bullets inside. You mirrored his actions, realizing the potential severity of this job. Your gun was full, and you were more than ready. "Vest up." Gavin instructed, making his way towards a large police van. He pulled open the back doors, revealing a rather wide range of equipment. He pulled out two bullet-proof vests, throwing his over his head as he handed you the other one.

"What about Nines?" you ask, glancing at the android out of the corner of your eye.

"My clothing is semi-bullet resistant." he explains, but that isn't good enough for you. Sure, androids don't feel pain, but you don't want him being damaged. You push past Gavin and grab a third vest, holding it out to Nines, who takes it and puts it on without a word. You hadn't noticed until now, but Nines also had a gun in his hand. Gavin passed you a flashlight, grabbing one of his own, and one for Nines as well.

"Ready? We move fast, we move silent, and we stay to-fuckin'-gether." Gavin leads the way to the front doors of the hotel, keeping low and pressing his back against the wall to the right of the door, gun raised and ready to breach the building.

"I fancy that idea." you mutter in response, doing the same on the left side.

"And..." Gavin whispers, giving you just enough time to take one deep, shaky breath, "Breach!" you and your partners move like lightning, pressing through the door and into the main lobby with ease. You rest the hand holding your flashlight underneath the one wielding the gun, holding it perfectly steady. You didn't feel an ounce of anxiety within you, and your tiredness from before was fading away with every silent step. The three of you fanned out, more officers streaming in behind you, following your search pattern and staying nearly just as quiet. You regrouped with Gavin and Nines, the lobby turning up entirely empty. You led the way down the main hallway, reaching the very first room door. All security systems had been shut down for the search, the door sliding open as it detected your presence. It was just as soundless as you were. Inside the room, everything was prim and proper. Nothing was out of place- as far as you could tell, no one had rented this room overnight. You scanned it over nonetheless, and of course it was void of both mechanical and human life. The search continued, officers slipping form one room to the next. At one point, Officer Chen began to wave a family of three, a mother, a father and their daughter, towards the buildings exit. You smiled reassuringly as they passed you, the poor daughter's face streaked with tears. Doors slid open, revealing nothing incriminating behind them. Every now and again, a room would be torn apart as if frantically searched, but no one was found other than other cowering tenants. The first floor was empty.

"Moving up." you hissed into the walkie-talkie pinned to your vest, Gavin taking the lead this time as he pushed through the door to the main stairwell. It was nothing special, simple dark grey tile carrying you up to the second floor. The stairwell was empty. Another set of heavy doors finished off the ascent, and as Nines reached out a hand to throw them open, his brows furrowed. The doors didn't budge.

"What are you waiting for, Tin Can?" Gavin hissed through his teeth, pushing past the android and trying the door for himself. "I thought the security systems were off?"

"They are. This is locked manually, through a hack of some sort. I think I can deactivate it if you give me a moment." Nines' LED went yellow, and he placed a hand on the door, where a handle would be if they weren't automatic. His skin crawled away, leaving white android metal underneath. The seam between the skin and the metal gave off a light blue hue. Spinning from yellow to red, his LED began to blink, and then, just like magic, the doors swung outwards, open. Nines' skin returned, and you smiled.

"Great job." you compliment, your heart warming at Nines' faint smile at your approval. You didn't have time to bask in your victory as Gavin set the search in motion without any hesitation. The second floor was... much more to take in. The first room you entered held a woman who was all alone, sobbing softly into her hands. You had found her tucked away in the room's closet with an empty wine bottle in her hands- an attempt at a weapon. "Ma'am?" you hold out your hands, pointing carefully at the bold letters, DPD, scrawled across your chest. The woman had pulled her bottle up, ready to crash it down upon your head, before spotting your vest and letting out a relieved gasp.

"Oh my god, finally!" she said, her voice cracking and peaking. She was being loud. You rushed a finger up to your mouth, glancing nervously over your shoulder.

"The deviants might still be in the building. I can get you an officer to escort you out of the building, but you have to be quiet." you glanced once more over at Gavin, who was peering around the corner of the wall that the closet was seated within, his gaze directed at the exit door of the room in search of an officer. He turned back to you and shook his head. There were no officers nearby, and calling out to one was a horrible idea.

"You just take her out." Gavin instructed, and you shook your head instantly.

"Not a chance. I need to make sure I catch those deviants. Why can't you do it?"

"Same reason as you. Plastic?" Gavin redirected his gaze to Nines, who simply nodded his head and held out a hand to the woman. She flinched away at the sight of his LED, but he showed her a warm smile, his brows furrowing in a sympathy and kindness that was most likely false.

"It's okay. I work with the DPD, I'll get you to safety if you come with me." still hesitant, the woman grabbed his hand, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Be safe, Nines." you wished him well, and he sped off with the woman at his side, back towards the stairs to freedom and salvation. Now, you and Gavin were alone, the tension surrounding the altercation with the woman cooling off. Your heart still thumped steadily in your chest, your anxiety still held at bay, at least for now. Every single room you entered was disturbed. Clothes were strewn about, the blankets ripped from their beds, chairs sat upturned, glass scattered the floors. It was chaos, and you felt such a powerful wave of pity for those who had to endure such a terrifying experience.

"Don't lag behind." Gavin's voice snapped you from your thoughts, and you whipped to face him. You had completely spaced out, not noticing that he had continued ahead without you. You picked up the pace ever so slightly, following in his tracks and moving to round the corner you'd just seen him round- your anxiety spikes as he backpedals, almost colliding into you as he throws himself back around the corner. The deafening bang and ring of a gun firing goes off, and your breathing is cut off almost entirely. "Hide!!" Gavin hisses, shoving you backwards and toward one of the spare rooms. He pushed you inside, gripping the sliding door with his fingertips and heaving it closed faster than it would have shut otherwise and blocking himself outside. His retreating footsteps grow more distant as another gunshot fires- his sprinting footsteps don't stop, and you're near certain that he is still unharmed. Not that that'll last for long. You had to save him. Did you both run into the deviants, or at least one of them? That had to be it. You grip your gun more firmly and rip the sliding door right back open, leaping out into the hallway and swinging your gun to the left, and then the right. The hall is empty, but you can still hear commotion down the hall in the direction you and Gavin had originally come from.

"Fuck!" you curse to yourself, brushing your hair out of your eyes and clicking down the button on your walkie-talkie. "There seems to be a threat in the west wing, floor two. Detective Reed and I were separated, I think the deviants are on his tail. We need backup!" with your request for help completed, you sprinted off after your partner. Your anxiety had crashed through the roof, sending a wave of shock pulsing through you. You wouldn't allow yourself to think of the worst case scenarios, and forced your breath to even out. It helped a little. You met a fork in the halls, taking a left after spotting a blue-bloodied footprint sinking in and staining the rug of the hotel floors. You continued your sprint down the hallways, but, in a flash, pure terror tightened every muscle in your body. From an open door to your left, a set of hands lunged out, fastening around your limbs and yanking you violently inside. You were kicking, trying to scream but your voice had dried up. You felt your vision going dark with terror, hopelessness. You were going to die, this was it, this was your end, you still had so much to live for, was this really it, this can't-

"Stop it you fucking dumbass!" you froze up. You knew that voice. All of the tension in your body left and you scrambled free from your partners grip.

"Gavin!" you let out his name in a breath of relief, and then dive forwards and catch him in a hug without thinking.

"Hey- hey, not now!" he shoves you away, and your face goes red, your stupidity catching up to you. You apologize rapidly, still trying to calm your now-racing heart.

"Why the hell did you scare me like that?" your throat was sore from strain, but you didn't care at this point. "Jesus, you gave me a heart attack! You can't just-"

"Nines is out there." Your voice cut off abruptly at Gavin's words.

"What?" your terror returned. "Nines?? Is he hurt?"

"No, not yet I don't think, but one of those deviants has him at the barrel of their fuckin gun!" Gavin stood from his spot beside you on the floor, extending a hand for you to take. You were... a little confused by the sudden urgency in his voice as he spoke about Nines. Now wasn't the time to bring that up- calling Gavin out for caring about Nines was a recipe for disaster. "We have to do something. They're down the hall, an immediate right into some sort of common room. Come on." Gavin was perfectly calculated, his steps methodical and silent as the wind. His gun was held to his chest, his expression serious and determined. You felt fear still swelling inside of you, bubbling like a pot of water set on a stove of death. You couldn't let Nines be hurt. You followed beside Gavin, forcing your mind to clear, gun to your chest just like him. Every step that you took felt so loud. As the two of you crept forwards at a steady pace, Nines' voice came within earshot, along with another voice, feminine.

"No, no, I've already told you. I'm an android too!" Nines' voice sounded smooth as always, his negotiation procedures kicking in.

"You're a cop android, not a deviant. I'm not stupid." The woman's voice was just as calm, and the familiar click of a gun sent a shiver down your spine. Both you and Gavin seemed to pick up the pace.

"I was a cop android." Nines was telling white lies. "I'm not anymore. I'm just like you. I want to be free. Please, don't shoot." you and Gavin grew closer and closer to the common room by the second as the conversation bounced back and forth between Nines' hopeless convincing and the other deviants snarky remarks. She wasn't believing him. At least, not enough to let her guard down. You tell yourself that she must believe in Nines at least a little bit, or she would have shot him by now. You follow Gavin and stop right at the corner. Just one more step and you'll be in plain sight.

"Fuck." Gavin mutters, letting his eyes fall shut as he thinks up a last minute plan. His jaw seems to tighten as he runs through hopeless possibilities. You glance around, and spot a ballpoint pen on the ground just at your feet. You feel hope rekindle within you, and reach down to pick it up silently.

"Be ready." you don't give Gavin any time to prepare as you toss the pen lightly. It clatters against the ground, seemingly so loud, and the woman goes quiet halfway through a sentence. You count down, three, two, one, and then you burst from your hiding place with your gun raised. Just as you had guessed, the android had stared, looking for the source of the sound just long enough for her gun to fall away from the direct shot through Nines' head. She spotted you, gritted her teeth, fired at Nines- but her aim was off in her panic, and the RK900 ducked skillfully out of the way, lunging towards his attacker and throwing a hefty punch across her face. Her smaller frame went spiraling to the floor. "You okay Nines?" you called as the android leaped back to her feet, rebrandishing her gun. She seemed to notice that she wouldn't have time to fire, not yet. Nines nodded his head- he was fine- and went in for another attack. The android ducked with perfect timing, dodging yet another punch, but she didn't anticipate her opponent jutting out a leg to sweep her directly off of her feet. She fell hard onto her back, and Nines dove to catch her wrists, but she rolled out of the way and was standing again in a flash. She gave up trying to fight, ditching her gun and setting off in a relentless sprint. Gavin, you and Nines were after her in seconds, winding down hallways and speeding through doors. The android ahead of you didn't seem to know where she was going. She was headed directly to a dead end. She took the left you were waiting for her to take, smiling to yourself as you expected her to stop dead in her tracks, faced with a short hallway and a window at the end. Your smile faded right away as she continued on full force.

"HEADS!!" she cried, and leaped directly through the window, out towards the waking streets below. You reached the window sill just in time to see her tumbling straight for the ground. She would have been entirely destroyed. She should have been entirely destroyed. But, instead, she fell right into an opened dumpster, pulled from the trash by two more deviants. Nines pushed past you towards the window, obviously planning to jump as well, but you grabbed him by the arm and tugged him harshly backwards as the deviants disappeared into the night.

"No, Nines!" you demand, and though he moves to leap one more time, he's silenced at last with a final bit of resistance. "We lost them."


	8. Drinks With Friends

Tuesday, October 26, 8:31 am

Riverside Hotel

"Detective, what were you thinking?" the moment the three of you had realized the Deviants were a lost cause, Nines had spun on you, his LED red and his mechanical gaze furious. The sight terrified you. Never had you known he could look so threatening. You shrink into yourself as he glares daggers, his cold eyes darting from you to Gavin and back again. "You could have gotten yourselves killed!" Gavin wasn't about to sit here and be scolded by a Tin Can, and he puffed out his chest, stepping to Nines with a confidence you seriously envied. 

"Don't you raise your fuckin' voice at me, Plastic, I'm the one in charge-"

"No!" you couldn't hold in your gasp as Nines jutted out an accusatory finger, pressing it into Gavin's chest. "I have dealt with you for so long now, but this time I will not let you yell at me! I am a machine, I can be replaced! You two can't!" You didn't want them to fight, but currently couldn't find your voice. You stared, wide-eyed, as Gavin retorted,

"So, what? We were just supposed to let you be shot?" 

"What's it to you? As I had just said, Reed, I have plenty of other prototypes lined up to be sent out into the field! It wouldn't have been the end of the world!" The tension in the room was so thick that you could have sliced it with a butter knife. Nines' LED was blinking red, and Gavin's face almost matched its rosy shade. 

"What do you mean 'what's it to you'?! Yous seriously- seriously just wanted us to leave you? Like we're fucking cowards?" 

"Your deaths, or even your injuries would be devastating to the continuation of our investigation!" they were shouting so loud, you felt like your head was going to explode. "And it isn't like you'd care if I were shot anyways!" 

"I can't believe you just fucking said-"

"Enough!!" your voice came in full force, like a tidal wave pushing up through your throat. Your shout was powerful, and both men stopped in their tracks, though they continued to stand nose-to-nose, Nines almost doubled down to face Gavin at the closest thing to eye level that he could achieve. "You two are both acting like... like fucking children!" you don't recall having sworn in front of either of your partners before, and they knew they were in serious shit as their eyes darted to face you. 

"Nines started it-"

"Shut the hell up, Gavin!" you pushed forwards, one hand gripping Gavin's shirt collar, the other gripping Nines'. Forcefully, you shoved your way in between, separating them at last. 

"Detective (L/N), I am so sorry for his behavior-"

"No, no, you shut up too, Nines!" you whipped around to face Nines, who almost seemed to shrink into himself. Now, you were the one glaring deadly daggers, and both men most likely knew that it wouldn't be wise to interrupt you. "Nines, of course we risked our lives to save you, we're your partners! It's our job! And yes," you cut him off just as he opened his mouth to speak, "I know you can be replaced, but if we can do something we're going to do it. You have to trust us!" Nines shut his mouth, his LED spinning from red to yellow as he redirected his gaze shamefully to the floor, forcing his anger away. You turned to Gavin, who wore a smug grin at the sight of Nines being scolded. As you caught his eye, the grin faded and you began to lecture him just the same. "Now, you, Gavin? You need to get a hold of your goddamn temper! I can't deal with you two treating each other like shit all the time! I don't care if you both hate each other, you're going to get along for the sake of our job!" You had more you wanted to say, but the after-shock of the whole situation was catching up to you as the last of your adrenaline washed away, and tears had begun to burn in the corners of your eyes. "Gavin, when we got separated and I heard that gun fire I thought you were dead! Nines, you were held at gunpoint, I thought you were going to die too!" you wiped at your eyes with the back of your hand, feeling next to no shame at the thought of crying in front of these two that you seem to be getting to know so well. "I don't want either of you getting hurt!" The tears finally peaked, running lines down the length of your cheeks. Both Gavin and Nines were staring right at you as you covered your face with your hands, forcing breaths in and out at the steadiest pace you could muster. 

"(Y/N)..." Gavin sighed, and you felt his hand on your shoulder. "I'm sorry." he didn't say much more as you forced your tears away. 

"I am too. I didn't take into account how this altercation could have affected the both of you." Nines patted your back gently, and you could tell without looking that he was frowning. You let your hands fall away with one last wipe of each eye, and then, with one more breath, you let your chin lift. 

"Let's get back to the station. Jesus fucking Christ, I need a coffee." 

\-----

Nines offered to drive you in your car back to the station, and you accepted gratefully. You had woken up earlier than usual, drained your energy in the stress and adrenaline of the chase at the hotel, and then scolded your partners and cried all in the span of a couple of hours. Saying you needed caffeine was an understatement. You felt like you needed it injected straight into your veins. You and Nines didn't speak a word as you drove, and the silence lingered as you parked and exited your car just as Gavin did the same. The three of you met up once more, and entered the building, the ST300 swinging open the gates and letting the three of you pass into the bullpen. Gavin didn't offer, just simply continued on past his desk towards the break room to get a coffee for both you and him. You didn't even consider starting work until he was back, setting the drink on the desk in front of you and taking a seat at his own workspace. 

"We got any witnesses to interview?" he asked as he took a sip from his cup. His voice was awkward and strained, as if he didn't know if he was allowed to speak.

"No, Captain Fowler assigned Officers to interview the civilians who came into close contact with the deviants. We simply have regular work for today, as far as I am aware." You could still detect guilt in Nines' voice, and he stood with his hands hung awkwardly at his sides, his gaze flickering from you to Gavin every now and then. 

"You got something on your mind?" you asked him, picking up your drink and simply holding it, absorbing the heat it let off into your hands. Nines was hesitant to speak, his LED blinking yellow momentarily before returning to it's blue. 

"I just... didn't know that my safety was a priority." both you and Gavin furrowed your brows in unison. "Detective Reed has never seemed fond of me, and I haven't known you, Detective (L/N), for long." 

"Sure, you're a pain in my ass, but that doesn't mean I want you gettin' shot." Gavin scoffed, though he tore his gaze away in a show of bashfulness. He really did care for Nines, even if that care was buried under a thick layer of loathing. 

"Nines, it's been just over a week now and I wouldn't want any other partners. I wouldn't want either of you getting hurt." that was 100% honest, and Nines seemed to notice. Neither of you were lying, at least not outright- you still believed that Nines wasn't as big a pain in Gavin's ass as he said he was.

"Well..." Nines processed the information, and then wore the faintest of smiles, "As flattering as that is, why would you risk your lives for me? Even if I was the only RK900 in circulation, I am nothing more than metal and Thirium. You are living breathing human beings." 

"Oh bullshit!" you accuse, Nines frowning at the intensity of your words. "Absolute bullshit, Nines. Yeah, we're human, and you're an android," you stood from your seat, setting your coffee down and staring him dead in the eyes, "but you're still Nines, the android sent by Cyberlife, and I wouldn't want any other RK900." 

"But... wouldn't another RK900 android be the exact same?" 

"No, not at all. Sure, you're all RK900's, but only you are the RK900 that I've gotten to know." you cross your arms, and turn to Gavin, silently demanding that he swallowed his pride and helped to convince Nines that he was more than just a fancy computer. 

"I hate to say that (Y/N)'s got a point. It just wouldn't be the same." you let out a satisfied hum and fell back down onto your seat, logging into your police terminal. 

"You humans are odd. I'm not sure I'll ever understand your emotional attachments, but I'll attempt to be more careful with my personal well-being in the future." that was enough for you. You continued through the day, sipping absentmindedly at your coffee and reviewing evidence or filling out file after file while Gavin did the same. Nines stood between your desks like normal, but this time he wasn't simply staring off into space. He seemed to be processing information, though you weren't sure what that information was.

\-----

As the clock struck quitting time at last, you were more than ready to leave the station. Some of your exhaustion had faded over the course of the day, and the coffee you had drank had helped immensely, but being done with the day was still a wonderful idea. You were just standing from your seat, about to say goodbye to your partners, when Gavin piped up with an offering. 

"Hey, (Y/N)? Wanna tag along for some drinks or something?" Gavin scratched the back of his neck briefly, seeming to be tied between keeping eye contact in order to seem confident and normal, or avoiding your gaze because he was wallowing in his own poor social skills. "I still feel bad for this morning." you smile, a thought flashing through your head in an instant before vanishing. He's kind of cute.

"Sure, actually, I'd love to." you didn't see this as anything even remotely close to romantic. Friends could get drinks together- partners could get drinks together. Gavin seemed rather surprised that you had actually agreed, but he flashed his own smile and nodded his head, grabbing his cellphone and keys an turning to leave the building.

"Keep up, Tin Can." Gavin said, both you and Nines tailing after him on the way to the main lobby. As usual, a sort of habit you had recently formed, you waved a quick farewell to the ST300's behind the receptionist counters and exited the building as they nodded their heads in unison as a farewell. Outside, it was moderately sunny for the first time in a while. Golden rays pierced through the thick clouds, and it wasn't nearly as chilly as it had been recently. 

"Maybe Detroit'll finally get some warm days before the snow comes," you suggest, and Nines pipes in.

"The weather tomorrow is supposed to be a nice change of 14 degrees Celsius with as little as a 10% chance of showers." you stopped at your car, Gavin and Nines at his. 

"So what's this bar we're headed to?" you ask, and Gavin replies,

"Jimmy's Bar, not far from here. 'Bout ten minutes away." He pried open his car door and slid into the drivers seat. "See you there." sitting down inside of your own car, you slid the keys into the ignition and started it up, setting it into motion and following Gavin as he drove. You had been to Jimmy's bar exactly one other time years ago, and vaguely remembered it to be rather pleasant. You tapped a tune on your steeling wheel, winding through the streets of Central Detroit, until finally you pulled into the parking lot of the bar in question and hopped out from your vehicle. 

"Do you come here often?" you ask as Gavin steps from his car, straightening out his leather jacket and running a quick hand through his hair. He shrugs, and slams his door shut. 

"Once or twice a week. Sometimes more." Letting out a hum, you follow as he leads the way. On the storefront window, in thin, glowing blue letters, is the bar's title. The door to the left donned a big red sticker with 'no androids' scrawled obviously across it. Neither of your partners even gave the sticker a passing glance as the door was pushed open. Almost immediately as you step inside of the empty bar, the bartender scowls and rests his balled fists on the counter. 

"For Christs sakes, Reed! How many times have I told you to keep that thing out of here?" Gavin responded with a roll of his eyes, sliding into a bar seat and motioning for you and Nines to take the seats next to him. You sit on his right, Nines on his left, and Gavin starts to order drinks. 

"Just give me a whiskey, please. And something softer for the lady-"

"Hell no, I want a whiskey too." you cut Gavin off and grin smugly. You had always loved whiskey more than the fruity drinks or wines that were often deemed to be more 'feminine'. 

"Alright, two whiskeys it is." the man behind the counter still seemed annoyed by the android in the room, but he wasn't about to turn away two paying customers whether they brought in a robot or not. 

"Seems you have a reputation around here." you chuckle, glancing past Gavin at Nines. 

"Yeah, Jimmy hates these plastics." Gavin let out a laugh similar to yours, smiling at Nines and then back at you. "Too bad." Jimmy, the bartender, finished pouring two simple whiskeys, neat, and set them on the counter in front of the both of you. He smirked at Gavin, and jabbed a thumb in your direction. 

"Where did you find a girl like this?" Taking a sip of your whiskey, you roll your eyes and let out an amused scoff, waiting for Gavin to answer. 

"What do you think, dipshit?" Gavin didn't seem as if he was genuinely insulting Jimmy, and instead wore a light smile that looked almost amused or playful. "My Captain partnered us up to deal with these Deviant cases." 

"Scary stuff." Jimmy nodded his understanding, and turned to face you, "Good luck working with Reed and the Bot. I pity your poor soul." 

"It ins't that bad, actually!" you race to defend, drawing a laugh from Jimmy and a shake of his head. "Sure, Gavin's an asshole from time to time, but you learn to deal with it." You elbow Gavin playfully in the arm as he feigns offense, gasping dramatically and holding a hand to his chest.

"My poor, fragile feelings!" he huffs, and then turns back to his drink. "Yeah, she ain't too bad either." You sip at your drink over the course of an hour, Jimmy opting to tidy up the bar, leaving you, Gavin and Nines to chatter to one another alone. As you finished your drink and reached for your wallet to pay, Gavin shook his head and insisted that he bought the whiskey for you as a final apology. 

"You're sure?" you confirm, and he nods. "Well, in that case, I'll take another whiskey." You were only feeling a little bit tipsy, and felt the sudden urge to tease Gavin and take advantage of his offer. He simply shrugged, and called Jimmy over to get you and him a second drink.

"I don't think this is the best idea, Detectives. That whiskey has a rather high alcohol content, and you both have work tomorrow." Nines suggested from the sidelines, but no one seemed to hear him as another set of drinks was set down before you. After those drinks came yet another round, and then one more, with Nines voicing his disapproval every time and being ignored completely. 

"I bet I can finish my drink first!" you challenge, gripping your cup, which was only half-full. 

"Fuck no! You have way less left!" his words were slurred, as were yours, and he raised his hand to get Jimmy's attention. "One more round! I have to beat the shit out of you!" Not even the bartender seemed fond of this idea, but business was slow today, so he moved to get the drinks anyways. 

"Detective Reed, Detective (L/N), are you certain that-"

"Enough outta you, Niners!" you grin like a fool, and rise from your seat on shaky legs. You were almost entirely wasted. You didn't drink often, so your tolerance seemed to be absolute shit. "Lighten up a little!" you try to stumble over to him, but almost trip over your feet and collapse back into your chair. "Ready?" you pick up your new cup, Gavin doing the same, and stare him dead in the eye. "Three, two," a countdown begins, "one!" the two of you throw your heads back, chugging the glass of whiskey and being met with instant regret as it burns at your throat. You fight through the pain and finish your glass, slamming it down onto the bar and letting out a victory laugh that cracks halfway through. 

"Fuck!" Gavin curses, and slams his cup down seconds after you. 

"I win! You lose!" your chanting begins, and you signal for Jimmy, "One more victory cup!" 

"Okay, Detectives. That's enough." Nines finally can't let you drink any more. He stands from his seat, arms folded behind his back, his almost parental glare flicking from one drunk detective to the other. "I'm sorry, but I can't let either of you drink any more alcohol."

"Whaaat?" Gavin exclaims with you in unison.

"I've already let this go too far. I was irresponsible not to stop you both sooner. Let's go." you don't get a chance to protest as Nines approaches you, moving to catch one or your arms and sling it over your shoulder. You pull it away, letting out a frustrated groan.

"I don't want to go yet!" you protest, but Nines ignores you and grabs one of your arms nonetheless. 

"You fuckin' prick! I'm finally enjoyin' myself and you have to come along and ruin it!" Gavin lifted from his seat and stood on the tips of his toes to stand eye-to-eye with Nines. 

"You don't intimidate me Detective. Let's go." Gavin gave in with a huff and a string of profanities and rude names, stumbling forwards a few steps before stopping to lean heavily on the bar. No way was he making it outside without help. Nines' mouth was pulled into an annoyed line, his brows furrowed and his LED blinking blue and yellow. He grabbed Gavin by the arm, and the shorter man leaned heavily on the androids side as the three did their best to get outside. You and Gavin were basically hugging Nines for dear life, tripping over your feet with every step, never ceasing your complaining, even as you were placed in the back seat, Gavin in the passenger. You were vaguely aware of the car setting forwards when your eyelids grew heavy and you let yourself tumble into a half-sleep.


	9. You'll Regret This

Tuesday, October 26, 11:49 pm

2105 Ambassador Lane

Nines rushed to close the door with his foot, you hanging off of one arm and Gavin on the other, before one of Gavin's cats could race between his legs and escape. He somehow managed to do it despite the both of you somehow tripping over his feet, and he made a mental reminder to lock it once the both of you were set down somewhere in the house. 

"Hey, we're home!" Gavin acknowledged through his drunken haze, pushing himself away from Nines and collapsing to his knees just as his two cats came skittering up to him. "Hi Pretty Kitty..!" he purred, running his hand along a little tabby cats fur. "And hello Pricky!" he turned to his other cat, the big grey tomcat. You gasp, catching sight of the furry friends, and push away from Nines as well. 

"No, Detectives!" Nines scolds, and attempts to shoo the cats away. Instead of running, Prick, the grey cat, turns to Nines and lets out a hiss, scratching at his hand. It scrapes the skin momentarily away, but it regenerates seconds later. "You need to get up and sit on the couch." Nines had an arm extended towards the sofa, but he immediately knew it was silly to believe that either of you would listen to him. "Detectives!" Nines was trying to regain control of the situation, but you had picked up the tabby cat, Bella, otherwise known as 'Pretty Kitty', and were hugging her to your chest. 

"She's so cute!" you squeak, and Gavin nods his head, stroking Bella's back. 

"Detective (L/N), put the cat down and let me help you stand!" Nines was already growing impatient with your antics. He crossed his arms, tapping his foot, and you finally acknowledged him. He grew hopeful that you would do what he said, but then you held out your arms, extending the cat to him. 

"Looks, Nines! Isn't she cute?" he let out a huff, shaking his head. He was a police negotiator- surely he could convince you and Gavin to behave. When Nines didn't take the cat, you frowned, and set Bella down to scurry away. "You're no fun, Tin Can." you grumble, and Gavin breaks out into a raucous laughter at you using the nickname he so frequently used. His laughter seemed to be contagious, because soon you were giggling away as well. 

"Yes, yes, so funny. Get up." Nines spoke curtly, reaching a hand out for you to take. Much, much, much to his relief, you took it and let him lift you to your feet. "I think you should take a seat on the sofa, (L/N)." Nines suggested, and guided you over to the soft, cushioned couch. The moment he let go of your hand, you tumbled over your feet and collided with the cushions, letting out a hum of approval at it's softness. "You next, Reed." Nines hurried to the other mans side as he began to stand on his own, and soon he joined you. Now, the both of you were sitting there together, still giggling like children over 'Tin Can'. 

"Niiiiiiines...!" you whined after your laughter had ebbed, "I'm hungry!" The android forced a calming breath into his synthetic lungs, hoping that it would help him calm himself. It wasn't normal for him to get so irritated by something so trivial, especially since your request for food was completely rational. It wasn't healthy to fall asleep on an empty stomach, and even more so when you had drank so much alcohol. 

"Alright. If you two promise to sit there quietly, I'll get you both something to eat." You smile widely, nodding your head and folding your hands in your lap. You tried to sit upright, but swayed gently from side to side with every passing moment. Nines waited one more moment, his gaze scorching into both you and Gavin in a silent demand that neither of you get into any trouble. At last, with another sigh, he turns and heads towards the kitchen. A quick scan through Gavin's cupboards comes up rather fruitless. He has yet to go shopping this week, and had been living off of leftovers for the past two days. Maybe it would just be easier to order food, Nines pondered, and turned back towards you and Gavin, who were, surprisingly, still in the living room, seated where you were supposed to be. 

"You made us food already?" Gavin asked, skeptical, "That was quick." 

"No, Detectives." Nines denied, "You haven't gone grocery shopping, there is nothing there to eat. Would you like to order food?" Both Detective's eyes brightened, and you chanted a 'yes!' in unison. 

"McDonald's!" you cheered, and Gavin grinned widely. 

"McDonald's!" he agreed wholeheartedly, and turned to you, "I haven't had McDonald's in forever!" his words slurred together, and his gaze was hazy with both intoxication and tiredness. "Can I get a happy meal?" Nines frowned, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I simply cannot justify ordering such unhealthy food. What about something from that lovely organic restaurant across the bridge?" without a moment of hesitation, both you and Gavin burst into outrage. 

"No! I don't want that leafy bullshit!" slurring, Gavin stood from his seat, hands resting on his hips in a sassy stance. "I want some goddamn motherfucking chicken nuggets!"

"Calm yourself, Gav!" you place a hand on his shoulder, half for support as you stand, and half to soothe him, "Come on Nines, please? Just this one time?" you stumble forwards, balling your hands into hopeful fists and staring up at him with doe-eyes. Nines stares flatly back at you, and shakes his head. 

"No. I won't fill your bodies with fats and chemicals. I've ordered you both a healthy selection of plant-based foods for today. The vegetables will be especially good for you, Detective Reed." 

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, you prick?" Gavin pushed past you, scowling up at Nines as he fought to stand. "What, am I not healthy?" 

"That's exactly it, Detective. Sit back down now, both of you." Nines didn't want to fight with Reed, not right now. He averted his icy blue gaze, his voice stern and demanding. With a crestfallen expression, you tumble back onto the couch, Gavin doing the same with his arms crossed and a heavy sigh. "I will get you both water. I expect you to drink it all." Nines left the room, grabbing two cups from the cupboards and running them under the tap. with both of them filled nearly to the top, he turned and made his way back towards you and Gavin, his steps completely steady so he didn't spill a drop. "Here you are, Detectives." he stopped in front of the two of you, extending each glass. You took yours fine, and chugged it all without stopping. The water ran down your throat, seeming to soothe any lingering burning from you drinking your whiskey earlier in the night. It also seemed to clear your head ever so slightly. Gavin was more of an asshole about this all.

"Get me a coffee instead or some shit." He crossed his arms, staring defiantly. Nines stared right back. 

"No. Drink your water, Reed." Nines bent over slightly, looming over Gavin. The two were locked in a staring contest- one drunk, dysfunctional detective locked in a mental war with an android. Moments pass, and Nines is about to threaten Gavin again, warning to force the water down his throat if he has to, but finally Gavin lets out a sigh and takes the cup from his partner. 

"Shithead." he grumbles, but begins to sip at the water nonetheless. 

"Good." Nines steps away, scanning the both of you rapidly. Your alcohol levels were still high, but had ebbed slightly, sobriety coming in the wake of the ice cold water. Gavin was doing decent, since he could handle his alcohol most days, and the water was helping as well. Just as Gavin finished off his drink, there was a knock on the door, and Nines turned immediately to answer it. Peeling the door open was a girl, human, much to his surprise. They almost always had android delivery people, especially so late at night. "Good evening." Nines said simply, and the woman smiled, almost awkward as she handed over a white bag with large takeout boxes inside. 

"That'll be 31.86$." she said, and Nines took the bag, setting it on the floor beside him. The girl extended a rectangular object with a small screen, and Nines placed his index finger in the center, the skin peeling away to reveal the android plastic underneath. With a nod of her head, the girl retracted the payment device, clipping it to her belt and flashing that still-awkward smile, before hurrying away rather quickly. Nines shut the door, picked up the food, and turned back to the living room, setting the bag down on the coffee table. 

"Dig in. It's healthy." Across from the couch, slightly to it's right, was a reclining chair. Nines sat himself down, resting his hands in his lap and waiting for the two of you to start eating. You were both reluctant, but the growling of your stomach's drove you forwards and you ripped open the bag. Inside of the takeout boxes were an assortment of salads, roasted vegetables, and different beans and rices. 

"Nasty." Gavin lied, though Nines knew that this place was one of his guilty pleasures. Despite his facade, Reed loved all of the food from this vegan restaurant, despite not being strictly vegan himself. This was one of the things that Gavin would despise being teased about, but Nines never made fun of him since he was rather happy that the human detective was eating healthy.

"Ditto." you sigh, but begin to shovel down food. The room is near silent other than the scraping of plastic forks against Styrofoam, and soon you had both finished your meals.

"I can clean up the garbage. You two need to sleep. Captain Fowler will not be happy if you both come to work hungover and exhausted." Standing, Nines made his way over to the both of you, taking the trash and setting it on the coffee table to clean after you were all sleeping somewhere. "If you're sober enough to answer responsibly, where can Detective (L/N) sleep tonight?" Nines tilted his head at Gavin, who smiled like an idiot and broke down into laughter. He was, in fact, too drunk to answer with a mature response. "I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch." 

"No, that's fine. I could sleep anywhere." you sigh, and take over the entirety of the couch after Gavin stands up and heads for the stairs, still chuckling to himself at his unspoken joke. 

"Don't fall, Reed." Nines warns in a joking manner, earning a 'shut the fuck up Tin Can' as Gavin disappears. Picking up a spare blanket from a basket in the corner of the room, Nines hands it to you along with a comfortable throw pillow that had been kicked to the floor at some point in the chaos of the evening. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Nines questions, unfolding the blanket and laying it neatly over you. 

"Thanks but I think I'm good." you snuggle down into the cushions, your eyes already falling shut. 

"Alright. Goodnight, Detective. I'll be nearby if you ever need something." The lights flicked off and the lock on the front door clicked shut, a wonderful relaxation falling over you. The alcohol's effects were slowly fading, leaving a comfortable ache in your limbs and a buzz in your brain that was just barely pleasant. Nines took a seat on the recliner, slipping out of his work jacket and leaning back into the backrest. His eyes fell shut just as yours had, his LED dimming to a much paler blue as rest mode overtook him, his hands rested on his knees. You were absolutely and utterly exhausted. Jesus, were you ready to sleep. You heard Gavin moving around upstairs for a little while, along with the occasional distant curse. You were almost certain that at one point he tripped over one of his cats. In minutes, tiredness dragged at your limbs and carried you gently into it's dark, comforting abyss to regret your decisions at a later time. 

\-----

You had known you would regret your drinking. Even through your intoxication you had told yourself over and over again that you would want nothing other than death once you woke up, and you were absolutely correct. 

"It's time to get up, Detectives!" Nines' voice was way too loud, and bit at your eardrums, sending off a metaphorical drill on the interior of your skull. You let out a groan, sitting bolt upright at the sudden pain in your head and then regretting it as the pain intensified. Your fingertips brushed your forehead and your eyes squeezed shut as Nines pulled open the curtains previously shutting out the early morning light filtering through the living room window. 

"Shit!" you hissed to yourself, and, at last, you forced your eyes to open, taking in your surroundings while that drill in your head continued. You knew immediately that you were at Gavin's house- you remembered the place, and that realization helped the rest of your memories to trickle back. Your whiskey, your stupidity, and the completely safe feelings of falling asleep with people nearby. 

"I warned the both of you not to drink so much." Nines wasn't lecturing you, in fact he seemed rather amused by the whole scenario as Gavin came thundering down the steps, a hand pasted to his forehead. 

"Fuckin' hell, what did I do last night?" he grumbled, and turned to face the living room. At once, he froze, skittering slightly as he did so. His eyes fell on you, and then pried away to land on Nines. "No. No, no- Nines, I didn't... we didn't...?" Gavin continued forwards, shoving away the pounding headache as he prayed to god that the two of you didn't do anything. 

"No, you didn't." with those simple words, Gavin deflated with relief. 

"Thank fucking god." 

"But you did drink ten times your body weight." Nines' sarcasm was something you would always think was rather comedic, but Gavin clearly felt the opposite as his scowl grew. 

"Get me a coffee and shut the fuck up." Nines disappeared into the kitchen at once as Gavin let his weight fall against the doorway between that and the living room. "How are you feeling?" 

"Regretful." swinging your legs to the floor, you shove the blanket aside and force yourself to stand. The pain comes back full force, but you had expected that. "I'm a dumbass. Drinking on a work night? Fuck, I'm a dumbass." 

"Then I guess we're both dumbasses." Nines returned minutes later with two coffees, promising to get started on breakfast and doing so efficiently. The coffee helped to clear up your head, and the headache was faded away into a dull throb by the time you had left for work. The sun was shining down on Detroit that day, just as Nines had previously predicted, but you felt like that stupid ball of fire was mocking you. The beaming rays weren't too nice to your sensitive, hungover eyes. This was going to be a long day.


	10. New Partners

Wednesday, October 27th, 8:59 am

Central Police Station

"Detectives!" Fowler stopped you as you stepped into the bullpen, visibly fuming. His arms were crossed over his chest, a frown plastered over his face. His booming voice agitated the lingering headache you still had. "You're late!" Gavin muttered something beside you, wincing just as you had, and was about to fight down the pain behind his eyes and respond when Nines pushed ahead of the two of you and did it instead.

"My apologies, Captain." Nines' voice was chilly as always, and you half expected the android to rat the two of you out for drinking irresponsibly. Fowler couldn't do anything about that, but he could surely be disappointed, and you didn't want that. "I experienced a small glitch in my software that failed to pull me out of rest mode. It's my fault that I didn't wake them early enough." Gavin furrowed his brows, glancing at you and then Nines with disbelief scrawled across his face.

"What...?" you mumble, but relief spreads through you.

"I ran a self-repair and it shouldn't happen again." with a respectful nod of his head, Nines finished his speech, and though it was obvious that Fowler didn't believe him, he decided it was better to simply blame the android.

"Fine. Get in here, we have a new case!" The Captain retreated into his office, and Nines turned to face the two of you with a frown.

"You're very welcome, Detectives. I won't vouch for you if this occurs again in the future."

"Thank you, Nines." you smile, and Gavin simply scoffs.

"I don't need you makin' excuses for my sake." he grumbled, and made his way for the Captain's office with the two of you in tow. "My head's still pounding." Gavin said, mostly to himself, though you patted his shoulder briefly as if to reassure him. Inside of Fowler's office, you spotted two other detectives who you had only briefly spoken to in the past. You remembered them to be Lieutenant Anderson and another RK android, Nines' predecessor.

"About time you three showed up." Hank let out a chuckle, crossing his arms and leaning heavily against the wall of the office. At his side, you scanned the RK android. He looked... frighteningly similar to Nines, with the same dark hair in the same swooping style, though his eyes were a warm brown rather than Nines' icy blue. He wore a grey Cyberlife jacket, again in a similar style to Nines'. A blue LED glowed on the side of his head, and his gaze was trained on the three of you.

"Hey, Hank? Shut the fuck up?" Gavin forced a tight grin, crossing his arms and staring directly at Fowler. "The fuck are they doing here?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Detective Reed, Detective (L/N)," Fowler began, a smile forming on his face- though the smile wasn't exactly friendly. It looked almost amused or mocking, and he stared directly at Gavin as he spoke, "The next case you're being assigned is something that Hank has been investigating for a while now. It's growing by the day, and it's so severe now that he and the RK800 can't handle it alone." Gavin's face went pale, and he grimaced.

"No." was all he said, and he burst forwards, slamming his hands down on Fowler's desk. "Absolutely not! I get paired with my own stupid toaster- Okay, I can deal with that! I get paired with some chick from another station- I can deal with that, but I will not work with Hank and his stupid plastic detective!" Fowler rose from his seat, intending to speak, but Gavin continued. "It's like you're trying to force me to quit! One trial after the other, what the hell do you want from me? You know I liked working alone, or with Tina, but now you're just giving me one shitty partner after the other and-"

"Shut it, Reed!" Fowler cut him off with a bark, and Gavin flinched backwards at the force of his words. You frowned at how Gavin had addressed you as a 'shitty partner', clasping your hands in front of you. "You are an exceptional detective. You have some wonderful skills." Fowler's tone was calmer now, "But you have to keep your temper under control, especially when you're talking to me." Gavin took a step away from Fowler's desk, his hands balled into white-knuckled fists. Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you, but Gavin looked hurt. "I am not going to lecture you in front of your peers, though I probably should. You are working with them on this deviant case, and you are going to try your hardest to get along with them."

"Yeah, fuckin'... whatever." Gavin shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, gaze trained on his shoes.

"Good." Fowler sat back down, and turned to you. "Detective (L/N), this is Lieutenant Anderson and his android." raising one hand in their directions, you smiled and nodded a greeting.

"Call me Hank." Hank asks, and the android steps forwards, extending a hand to you.

"My name is Connor, I'm the android sent by Cyberlife." you took his hand and gave it a shake, examining his face a little closer once given the chance. His LED blinked yellow, and then realization glowed in his brown eyes. "This must be... rather confusing." he says, and pulls his hand away, shifting to stand beside Nines. the RK900 was taller than Connor by a few inches, but other than that and the shade of their eyes, they could be mistaken for the same model. "I hope my resemblance to him doesn't inconvenience you." Connor's use of 'him' sparked a question in your mind that you weren't sure you could ask. Was Connor a deviant? Most androids void of deviancy addressed others much less formally. Of course, deviancy was completely legal now, though it wasn't necessary- for the first time since meeting Nines, you also wondered if he was a deviant.

"No, no," you wave a hand dismissively, "It shouldn't be a problem. It's just a little odd." Connor nods, and returns to Hank's side. "So, what's this case?" you step up to stand beside Gavin, your gaze shifting from Fowler to Hank.

"Police officer's all over Detroit are turning up dead." Fowler jumped straight to the point, "As far as we know, it's all at the hands of deviants as well."

"Wait, is this linked to Abigail Cole's murder?" Gavin cuts in, seeming to have calmed a little bit.

"We aren't certain- it could just be coincidence, but it's definitely a possibility." Connor responded, folding his hands behind him just like Nines had done. "We managed to trace the majority of these murders to the same types of androids, though we haven't been able to catch the majority of them."

"We've gotten four reports on police murders so far, and in only two of those did we actually catch the androids behind the murders." Hank spoke now, and just the sound of his voice seemed to tick Gavin off. "They were both androids reported missing a few months back, and they both preached for some sort of group or something... kept mentioning 'Jericho's Salvation' and saying that they were doing 'Ra9's work' when Markus couldn't." you took in the information, carefully running over every detail.

"'Jericho's Salvation'? 'Ra9's work'?" you were confused. Deviants were free now, seen as equals, more or less. The grand majority of the world were doing their best to accept androids. What more could these androids want?

"If I had to hypothesize, they crave... android superiority. They want to rule humans, just like they were ruled before the revolution." Connor said, his LED blinking yellow momentarily. "As far as we are currently aware, there are at least two other deviants who worked alongside the one's we had brought in."

"Have you discovered their model numbers?" Nines hadn't spoken until now, and you noted that his voice was deeper than Connor's. Connor and Hank shared an uncertain glance, and Connor continued.

"That's a difficult question to answer. Blue blood on the scenes point towards them being the models TG200 and TG900." almost immediately after the words left Connor's mouth, you interjected.

"No way, is that possible?"

"What? Why isn't that possible?" Gavin was staring at you now, as confused as ever. "What makes that so hard to believe?"

"TG androids were only prototypes!" you leap into an explanation with ease- the TG line was one you were familiar with. "Cyberlife was trying to create an android resembling a teenager. They thought that these androids could be used for all sorts of things, like training at part-time jobs or even therapy, but... I didn't think they even made it off of the assembly line."

"Very few of them did." Connor spoke again, "20 of them were sent with Cyberlife developers to be tested, like a sort of trial run. They were buggy and most often defective- no one really knew why, but something inside of their software halted Thirium flow, which caused many problems. They couldn't properly regenerate after being damaged, and they grew hostile much quicker than a regular android."

"Right." cutting in, Nines' LED spun yellow as he dug through articles on the internet, "They seemed to grow deviant rather than... snap into it, if you will. They progressively grew more hostile, and as a result, they were said to be the first one's destroyed when the military began gathering androids during the revolution." Gavin still looked confused, and Fowler did as well.

"Wouldn't they all be destroyed then?" Gavin crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "Those TG bots couldn't have killed if they didn't exist."

"That's what confuses us." Hank mumbled, "We've been tryin' to get through to Cyberlife for some questioning but no one's gotten back to us yet."

"I have something else to add on." Nines took a step forwards, his LED spinning from yellow to red. "When we investigated the robbery at the Riverside Hotel, I was attacked by a deviant. It was only natural for me to have scanned them, and when I did, I thought the model number was odd..." Nines turned to face Connor, "It was a TG700 android. I hadn't acknowledged my unfamiliarity with the model during the confrontation, but now I feel foolish for not having pointed something out sooner. My apologies."

"A TG700? But you found samples of a 900 and a 200?" now, Hank seemed to be as confused as everyone else. Connor nodded his head.

"It seems that the only conclusion we can come to is that there are more than just two androids left to be detained." a moment of silence spread over the room as the last of the information was locked into everyone's minds. Captain Fowler stood from his seat, and began to speak.

"Well, then there's no time to lose. Two bodies were discovered in a house on Cedar Lane. You five need to get down there and figure out where these deviants are hiding. As long as they're targeting police the police force, your lives are in as much danger as anyone else's."

"I'll share the address and we'll meet you there." Connor locked gazes with Nines, both LED's going yellow and swirling in unison as data was transferred from one to the other. "I look forward to working with the three of you. This might just be what we need to solve this case once and for all."

"I wish I could say the same." as soon as he was out of earshot from Fowler, Gavin sent a glare at Connor, stuffing his hands right back into his pockets and resuming his moody attitude. You didn't have your car today- it was still in the parking lot of Jimmy's Bar, but you were reluctant to ask him to ride in his car after him insulting you in Fowler's office. Much to your relief, and as if he had read you like a book, the moment you stepped out of the building into the sunny exterior, Nines grabbed Gavin's arm and stopped him in his tracks. "Hey- what the fuck do you think you're doing, Tin Can?" he tried to tug his arm away, but Nines held strong, looking over to you.

"Detective Reed, your behavior in Captain Fowler's office was unacceptable."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Gavin spat, still yanking on his arm, "Let me go, you asshole!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that until you apologize to Detective (L/N) and I for insulting us." though Gavin deserved it, you couldn't help but feel a little bad for how Nines was treating him. You understood why he didn't want to work with you, especially if he had worked alone for so long, but his comment had still hurt your feelings.

"For fucking what?" Gavin gave yet another tug on his arm, and finally Nines let it go, but still glared daggers at Reed, daring him to leave.

"'One shitty partner after the other'?" maybe he simply needed a reminder. Your voice came out flat, and you crossed your arms both angrily and self-consciously. Furrowing his brows, Gavin seemed genuinely confused for a moment, before he remembered what he'd said in his rage.

"Fuck, I didn't-" he went to speak, and then cut himself off, glaring again. "Fine. I'm sorry." Gavin shoved his hands back into his pockets, staring at anything but you or Nines. "I got angry, and I say stupid thins when I'm angry. There. You happy now, Plastic?"

"Yes, rather so." Nines smiled smugly, and turned to you. "Are you satisfied with that answer?"

"Yeah, sure." you shrug, though in the pit of your stomach was still a little bit of hurt. Noticing this, Gavin let out a huff, and tried yet another tactic to be forgiven.

"You don't have your fucking car yet, do you? How 'bout I drive you back to the bar after work to pick it up? We won't get wasted this time." Gavin took a step towards you, and moved as if to place a hand on your shoulder, though he retracted it before you could be sure. "I really didn't mean to say that. I guess... I guess I don't completely hate working with you." a smile made it's way onto your face now, but soon morphed into a shit-eating grin.

"So you do enjoy my company?" you batted your eyelashes playfully, and earned just the expression you had wanted. Gavin grimaced, rolling his eyes. "Aren't I just the best partner you've ever had?"

"Shut the fuck up and get in the car. We have a goddamn case to solve." you giggle at Gavin's annoyance and follow both partners towards his car, sliding into the same seats as you had in the past. Nines is in the back, a rather content-looking expression on his face as Gavin starts up the car and follows the directions Nines gave from the backseat. As tough as Gavin wanted to look, and as much of a lone-wolf he tried to be, he did enjoy working with you, and yes, even Nines, to some degree. Maybe one day he would say it to your face.


	11. Amelia and Callum, 25 and 27

Wednesday, October 27th, 9:39 am

6657 Cedar Lane

the first step inside of the house and you almost threw up your breakfast. The scent- oh god, the scent- it hit you violently in the back of the throat, sending you reeling. You would have tumbled to the ground and lost consciousness if Gavin hadn't held a hand out to steady you, and all three human detectives backed right out of the building again. 

"I warned you." Tina said with a shrug, an equal expression of disgust on her face, "I don't know how long those people have been dead for, but it's horrible." You were currently doubled over, hands on your knees, coughing up a lung and fighting to breathe in the less putrid scents of the dying flowers on the front lawn. It hardly helped. 

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Gavin asked, appearing at your side. You nod, trying to speak, but erupt into a coughing fit once more. Extending a finger to tell Gavin that you'll be a minute, he wipe the tears stinging at your eyes away. You had truly never smelt anything so... intense. 

"Christ..." you say through a hack, finally standing upright and turning back to your friends. You shake your head, taking in one last, shaking breath before returning, more or less, to normal. "That's rank." 

"Well, at least this time we're ready for it. Let's get this bullshit over with." Hank took his last deep inhale of fresh, clean air, and turned back into the house with Connor right behind him. 

"I don't know how long I can do this for. Let's be quick, please." Pressing the back of your hand to your mouth and nose as you entered, you found that this time, now that you were ready for it, it was at least bearable enough to keep from gagging. From a room over, you heard Hank curse, and hurried in that direction. As you turn through a doorway and step into a living room, you stop in your tracks. Before you was a rather gruesome scene. In the room was a leather couch. It looked expensive- or at least, you imagined it did, before it was covered in blood and torn to shreds. On the floor just below the sofa were two people, set to look as if they were kneeling. Their heads were rested on the couch cushions, and on those couch cushions was a hand- an android hand, not a human one, much to your relief. The android hand was balled into a fist, the middle finger extended towards the ceiling. 

"Fuck." Gavin hissed, passing the group and getting closer to the decomposing bodies. He winced and looked away as the scent intensified suddenly, then pressed the sleeve of his jacket over his mouth and examined the scene closer. "Get over here, Tin. How long've these two been dead?" Nines didn't hesitate to help, looking for the easiest place to retrieve a blood sample. He extended two fingers, dropping to one knee. Running those two fingers over a stab wound on the dead girls lower back, he brought them to his lips. You had to look away as he sampled the blood. 

"Oh- Oh, fuck! You do that shit too? That's... agh, that's disgusting!" Hank scolded, and for once Gavin muttered his agreement with Lieutenant Anderson. Nines ignored the snide comment, and pulled his fingers away. 

"This girl is Amelia Beauregard, 25. Records show that she was a rookie at 84th Street Police Station. She was due to marry Callum Richards, who I assume is the male." Nines stood, wiping his fingers together as if to clean off the blood that had already been cleaned by his processor. "The blood seems to be 29 days old." You took a glance around the room, and spotted a silver shining switchblade discarded on the ground nearby. You move towards it, kneeling at it's side. It was covered in dried, brown blood. Connor knelt beside you, running his fingers along the blade and sampling it in the same way Nines had moments earlier. 

"A blood concoction... Both Amelia and Callum's." his LED was spinning a thoughtful yellow, and you assumed he was scanning the weapon. "No fingerprints, but there is lettering- LTG." 

"LTG?" you repeat, and stand up once more, wondering what the letters represented. "Initials?" that was the obvious guess. 

"Most likely. TG, like the model number of the suspected androids. L might be the first letter of whatever name the killer owns." Gavin was at your side now, staring down at the weapon. 

"Or it could be a coincidence. We don't know that whoever killed these two are linked to the other murders." Hank was right, you suspected, and added on to his comment.

"Did these two own any androids?" Nines was the one to answer, LED yellow as he accessed all of the data he had on Amelia and Callum. 

"Yes, Callum owned one. A WR600, modeled for gardening." That explained the abundance of flowers out in the front of the house, though they looked like they hadn't been taken care of. There was a very slim chance that the android was still in the house, let alone anywhere near the house.

"Is it worth a look around?" you suggest, and everyone seems fine and dandy with an excuse to leave the grisly scene, as well as getting further away from the source of that putrid smell. "Fan out, I'll take the upstairs with Gavin and Nines." As Connor and Hank turn to leave, so do you and your partners, making a beeline for the stairs which were next to the front door. With every step, the stairs beneath you creaked, and the wretched smell grew more and more faint. Gavin took an immediate left into a bathroom, and Nines broke off into a bedroom, leaving one more door at the end of the hallway for you to check. You grabbed the handle, and braced yourself for the worse, scenarios of a blood-lusted deviant lunging out at you playing through your head. You reached for your gun just to be safe, and shoved the door open. Of course, nothing happened, and you were just fine. Your heart had began hammering in your chest, but you forced it to calm and flicked on the light. You were in another bedroom, the master bedroom. To the right of the room was a door leading to a bathroom, and to the left was a door most likely leading to a closet. 

"Bathroom's clear!" Gavin's voice echoes through the house, Nine's following soon after. 

"This room is clear too." that just left your room. Now, you realized how teeny tiny the chances of finding your android was. Your hand drifted from your gun and you checked quickly under the bed and in the bathroom. Nothing. That just left the closet, but you'd lost hope. Making your way to the closet door, you grabbed the handle, let out a huff, and ripped it open. Almost immediately your heart seemed to stop in your chest and you let out a blood-curdling scream, stumbling backwards and to the ground at the sight of a figure. You were scrambling, reaching for your gun, recognizing the honey-blonde hair and dark green clothing of a WR600 android you currently suspected and considering the worst. Footsteps thundered towards you, and Gavin was the first to show, gun drawn. He stumbled to a halt at your side, reaching to grab one of your arms and attempt to drag you backwards and out of harms way- until, he catches sight of what had scared you, and stops entirely. You had finally gotten your gun drawn, and were moving to train it on the dangerous deviant when Gavin started... laughing. Confusion spread across your face, and Nines burst into the room, his LED a vibrant red. Gavin continued to laugh, reholstering his gun and extending a hand for you to take. You didn't take it, not yet. 

"What is happening?!" Nines demanded, and had his gun at the ready as well.

"The worlds jumpiest detective over here got spooked by a docile little android!" Gavin was still smiling, and at last you took his hand. He pulled you to your feet, pointing to the robot in the closet. He stood, immobile, with his hands folded in front of it. You let out a sigh of relief, and then punched Gavin in the arm with enough force to snap him out of his laughing fit and draw a surprised shout. "What was that for??" 

"That was for being an asshole!" you said simply, placing a hand on your chest to feel your stuttering heart. It was already slowing with your partners in the room. "Scared the shit out of me... Jesus..." now, looking more carefully, something was off with the android. He wouldn't be harmful, he wasn't deviant, but you had missed something when you had passed him a quick glance moments earlier. "He's all beat up." you breathe, and step forwards to place a hand on his shoulder. He has no LED. Mechanically, his head turns to you, and you stumble backwards with a gasp. His eyes, which had been closed, were now open- and behind his eyelids were two voids. "His eyes..!" you force out, your voice no more than a breath.

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be of service?" The androids voice was distorted, a buzz, almost indecipherable. 

"It's missing a hand, too. Look." Gavin was right- where you had previously thought his hands were folded, was just one hand, balled into a fist. The other arm ended in a mess of blue-tinted wires.

"W-WR600, step out of the closet." you stutter, forcing your voice to grow stronger with every word as you overcame your shock. The WR600 didn't hesitate to obey. Even his movements were troubled, stuttering. He would move one leg forward, and it would flick back toward it's previous position. It took almost a whole minute for the robot to command it's body to move in the way he needed. 

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be o-of service?" He spoke again in that broken voice. Blue blood was trailing from his empty eye sockets.

"Extend your hand." Gavin stepped forwards, now directly at your side, the android about four feet ahead of you. He extended his broken hand, and Gavin shook his head. "Other hand." The WR600 was quick to correct his moves, extending the hand that was balled into a fist. You tilted your head, and took a step forwards, taking the hand in your own. It was still held into a fist, but along the back of the hand was writing in a font you knew immediately as Cyberlife Sans. 

"An android wrote this. 'He will kill you all'. Who's 'he'?" carefully, you flipped over the androids hand, gently nudging his fingers open so that it opened. In his palm was an LED. "Nines?" you ask, and the android is towering over your side, scanning the LED in an instant. 

"It belongs to the WR600." Nines says, though he sounds just as confused as both you and Gavin must look. 

"So it is deviant?" Gavin asks, but you shake your head. 

"No, there's no way. He wouldn't have stayed in the closet knowing he was losing blue blood if he was deviant." that was all you could say in answer. Behind you you hear more footsteps, and Hank and Connor come stumbling into the room. 

"What the fuck happened?" Hank demands, hurrying towards you. Connor stays a step behind him, as if he had been told to. 

"Nothing, I just overreacted. We found the WR600, but he isn't a deviant." You take a step away, revealing the android in all of its damaged glory. A look of horrified shock takes over Hank's face, and Connor's LED goes red. 

"My god- what the hell did that?" Hank approached the robot, jumping and stumbling backwards as the WR600 spoke yet again. 

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am h-here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be o-of s-service?" The androids hand was still extended, LED still sitting in his palm. 

"Do you know what happened to Amelia Beauregard and Callum Richards?" you kept your voice soft, subconsciously acting as if you would frighten this poor, damaged android despite him not being a deviant. 

"A-A-Amelia and Callum are away right now, and I have been assigned to maintain the garden and keep the home safe, but I can take any mail and will notify them of your visit." his voice sent a shiver down your spine. He was responding as if you were a neighbor stopping by for a chat. 

"Where are Amelia and Callum?" he was also acting as if the two were simply out of the house, and not dead in the living room. 

"Amelia and C-C-Callum a-are away for their honeymoon. I have been assigned to maintain the garden and keep the home safe, but I can take any mail and will notify them of your visit." Honeymoon? You turn to Gavin, quirking a brow. 

"Maybe they're supposed to be honeymooning today. Tin Can did say they were gonna get hitched." Gavin shrugged back at you. "I dunno why he's saying he's taking care of the garden and the mail. It hasn't been touched in weeks." 

"WR600, run a system diagnosis." the androids empty eye sockets blinked rapidly, and then went still once more. 

"Optical components- I-I-Inoperative. Left hand- Inoperative. Right audio processor- Inoperative. Thirium pump- damaged, but functional." You nod, satisfied with the confirmation that he wont' be shutting down any time soon. Questions run through your brain, but you turn to Gavin, offering up the time to ask the android some questions. 

"Did anyone other than Amelia and Callum come into the house 29 days ago?" Gavin crossed his arms, weight shifting to one side. He chewed absent-mindedly on the skin of his lip, awaiting an answer. The WR600 was silent for a moment, before repeating his monotone catchphrase. 

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am h-here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be o-of s-service?" Gavin repeated the question, and got the same answer in return.

"Did anyone come into the house 29 days ago who were not Amelia and Callum?"

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am h-here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be o-of s-service?"

"Come on, Plastic! Answer the question!" Gavin was growing rapidly frustrated, as he always was. 

"Hello. I am a WR600 android. I am h-here for all of your gardening and plant-based needs. How can I be o-of s-service?" 

"Oh my fucking god." Gavin let out a huff, turning around and stalking away. That deemed to be unsuccessful. In an attempt to reword his question, making it more general, you asked,

"Do you have any recognition of what happened 29 days ago?" Now, the android finally answered with something different. 

"Accessing memory from- September 28th." His eyes did that odd fluttery thing again, but it was so much more disturbing without eyes underneath. "Memory file corrupted. Please contact a Cyberlife employee for more detail." 

"Corrupted?" Hank says, taking Gavin's place. 

"WR600, run a software diagnosis." Connor spoke up from his place beside Hank, and the androids eyes fluttered for the third time. Of course- a software diagnosis was something you hadn't considered. 

"System scan- functional. Task library- functional. Memory drive- functional." the WR600 continued to list some other skills, all of which were in good condition. 

"It seems as if his memory was... erased, rather than damaged. Like another android corrupted it." Connor glanced the WR600 up and down, he LED yellow as he went about with his own scan. "Other than the damage that it's already listen, nothing else is wrong." 

"A second android must have corrupted it's memory drive." Nines solidified Connor's theory, and tilted his head. "I can probe it's memory and see if I can gather anything that might be lingering in the depths of it's software."

"Go ahead." you nod, and Nines moves to do his thing. The skin on his right hand began to fade, climbing upwards and into the sleeve of his jacket, leaving a clean white behind. Nines' LED spun yellow, and his hand connected with the wrist of the WR600. Seconds passes, and Nines was immobile, eyes fluttering shut. His LED remained yellow. And then, suddenly, like the crack of a whip, his LED went red and he let out a sound that was entirely unlike him. The air around you seemed to drop in temperature, and tension exploded around you. Nines let out a choked cry, packed to the brim with terror. He tore his arm away from the WR600, knocking it backwards and to the ground as he himself went tumbling downwards, falling like a rock. 

"Nines!" you shout, racing to his side as he kicks and scrambles his way backwards until his back connects with the wall. His eyes, which had been so calm and collected, were wild with fear you had never though possible to see within their depths. His hand was still white, shaking, and he was breathing heavily. "Nines, what the hell happened?"

"What the fuck, Tin Can?!" Gavin was scrambling to his side now too, unease draining the colour from his face. 

"I-I-It... the android, it..." Nines couldn't speak, and suddenly he was leaping to his feet, pulling out his gun and firing a single clean bullet into the androids head. It had been standing back up, but now it was sent backwards and to the ground again. You had let out a startled cry, taking a few frantic steps backwards. 

"Jesus fucking christ!" Hank cursed, staring, horrified, at the WR600. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gavin whipped to face Nines again, grabbing onto the collar of his Cyberlife jacket harshly. "What the fuck do you think you're doing shooting that android?!" Your gaze was still glued to the WR600 as it went limp, blue blood pooling onto the floor around it. Nines was staring at it too, despite how fiercely Gavin was trying to get the android to look down at him. "I can't believe you shot it, you plastic asshole!" Nines let the gun clatter to the floor, his LED still a frightening red. "You can't just-"

"Let go of him, Gavin!" you interject, grabbing Gavin's hands and untangling them from Nines' jacket. "He's terrified! Something happened!" sympathy swelled in your heart and you shoved Gavin away, taking his place and staring up at Nines, who was much taller than you. "Nines? Nines, can you hear me?" Though Nines still didn't look at you, he tried his best to speak.

"Y-Yes. I-I-I can hear you." 

"What happened? What did you see?" 

"I didn't..." Nines finally tore his gaze away, looking down at you. He still looked petrified. "I didn't see anything. I felt... that WR600 did something to me. Something horrible."

"What did he do?" you press, and Nines shakes his head. At last, his LED dims back into yellow, and then to blue.

"I'm not sure." he says, and blinks slowly, straightening out his jacket and calming himself for good. "I am sorry for my outburst. It was unprofessional, and I should not have damaged evidence." 

"You're damn right you shouldn't have damaged evidence." Gavin frowned, "You sure you're okay? I don't want to be the one getting shot next."

"Yes. I-I'm fine now." A part of you really didn't believe that.


	12. A Lead

Wednesday, October 27th, 7:00 pm

Central Police Station

After the excitement and fear had bled from the room, you had all gone back to searching and investigating. It was clear now that the WR600 had not been the killer, but you nor your partners had been able to discover anything else that would lead you to a possible suspect. The house was clear, which wasn't much of a surprise- it had been over four whole weeks, after all. You had all returned to the police station, sick to your stomachs from the smells and the sights, around 5:00 pm. Now, in the present, you were standing in the evidence room, tapping your password into the center terminal.

"What do we expect to find here that we haven't already found?" Gavin was leaning against the wall nearest the door, arms crossed, his face set into a tired and rather bored expression. "We've checked everything." 

"It's more than possible that we overlooked something." Nines was stood on the opposite side of the door, a foot or so away with his hands folded behind him as usual. "Especially considering the events at each crime scene." 

"It's worth one last look, at least." you huff to yourself, hitting 'enter' and taking a step back. The terminal shone green as it accepted your password, then went back to its normal blue. The wall in front of you shifted, and the evidence pertaining to your case was suddenly on display, neat and tidy. From left to right hung deactivated deviants- Neil, the CK500 who had murdered Officer Coles, the WR600, and an android that you hadn't seen until now. She was an HT300, one that was commonly in android-friendly hotels providing room service and aiding tenants. She looked just as damaged as both the other two, her brown hair in disarray, head twisted violently to the side and stab wounds littering her stomach. She was deemed beyond repair, unable to be reactivated, but had been docked in the evidence room nonetheless. She had been guarding the door that the deviant had broken in through when robbing the Riverside Hotel. In the center of the deviants was a shelf littered with objects of all sorts. the shovel from the first murder you had investigated was now joined by the gun from the robbery and now the knife with the initials LTG. You made your way around the center console, approaching the evidence to get a better look at it. 

"None of this makes any sense." Gavin grumbles, stuffing his hands in his pockets and sauntering over to stand at your side. "These deviants have no attack pattern whatsoever, and now we know that there could be tons of 'em working together." His grey eyes were trained on the evidence wall, studying the weapons on display. Bags hung underneath his eyes and you mentally scolded him for not sleeping. A strand of hair hung from his head, dancing in front of his forehead and resting just above his upper brow, where a scar sliced through. There was another scar on his nose- you had noticed it before, but only now did you realize just how... real it was. It would have been caused by something horrible, and you wanted to know what. Gavin flicked his gaze to face you, and you tore yours away, praying to god or Ra9 that he hadn't seen you staring. He didn't say anything about it, and you let out a silent sigh of relief. 

"Was Neil even linked to the TG models? When we investigated him, he was scared. Saying they would kill him if he told us whatever he was hiding." you tapped your chin absent mindedly. Could 'they' possible be the TG androids? Or someone linked to them? It seemed far fetched, not very plausible, but it was something to consider. 

"Both Abigail and Amelia were DPD. Not at the same station or anything, but it could be a link. What would the android have been hiding?" Gavin's foot began its tapping, an action you had realized was quite common for him. "Maybe it was hired or something. Like a hitman." 

"No, Neil killed Abigail to defend Peter..." you trailed off. A thought was twitching in the back of your mind, but you couldn't quite grasp onto it quite yet. "What do you think, Nines?" you threw a glance over your shoulder at the android, who was standing a few feet behind you and Gavin. His brows were furrowed, and his LED was a blinking amber. He took a steady stride towards Neil, eye-level with the android despite it being suspended a foot into the air. 

"I wonder if this CK500 had been hostile with its masters in the past." Nines' voice seemed rather distant, not as solid as it usually was. 

"Is there some way that we can reactivate it? Get some more information out of it?" both you and Gavin had shifted to stand at Nines' side. Neil had sent a bullet straight from his chin out through the back of his plastic skull. The damage was rather severe- but not even you knew if he was able to be reactivated or not. 

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" you say, and take a step closer to Neil. 

"You know how?" Gavin asked with a quirked brow and a small smirk, to which you nodded.

"Of course I do." You weren't exactly sure how he had responded, but you heard something you loosely pieced together as disbelief. You smiled to yourself as you lifted the base of Neil's shirt, exposing his stomach. Placing a hand on the smooth surface, you press gently, and the skin peels away. You're exposed to a square hatch, and slide it open with ease, exposing the biocomponents inside. All of the biocomponents were intact and rather organized, so the cable that connected the thirium pump to the main circulation vein was easy to locate. You grabbed one gently, and then the other, taking a deep breath before clicking them together and stumbling away just in time to watch the android snap to life once more. Neil let out a gasp, his eyelids whipping open to expose a cool blue colour underneath. He was blind. 

"Where am I?! Did they get me? Is that you? Are you going to kill me?" Neil croaked through a semi-damaged voice-box. He spoke in a distorted tone, though it wasn't nearly as distorted as the WR600 from earlier that day. 

"Neil? My name is (Y/N) (L/N). I work with the Detroit Police- I interrogated you recently about the murder of Abigail Coles." your voice echoed throughout the evidence room, loud and clear and determined. "I have a few questions for you that I need you to answer for your own safety." 

"Please don't probe my memory again. Please don't. Please." Neil repeated that word over and over, please, please, please, and you frown. 

"If you cooperate, you'll be fine." Gavin spoke up, his voice much more blunt and demanding than your own, "Before you self-destructed, you were saying someone or something would kill you. Did you mean some other deviant?" Neil's LED had been red from the beginning, but now it was blinking at an irrational pace, and he was trembling. 

"I- I can't say. They will hunt me down. They will kill me."

"You're safe here, Neil. You're in police custody, no one is going to hurt you!" you take a risk and move a hand forwards, resting it on Neil's upper arm and giving it a comforting pat. "I promise that, okay? I will keep you safe if you tell me what you're so afraid of."

"Promise? You promise? They won't get me, you promise?" his LED was still blinking furiously. "They won't get anywhere near me?" 

"Nothing will hurt you." Neil's LED froze, and spun back to yellow. His shaking stopped instantly. "Who is trying to kill you?" Gavin and Nines listened intently as Neil began to speak in a tone that was steadier than you had imagined. His empty eyes stared at nothing, and the blue blood spattering his clothing seemed to glimmer like starlight in the bright luminescence of the evidence room. 

"Androids- other deviants. They did something to me, something to my software. I used to be so calm, so... obedient. And then one day those deviants found me in the garden." 

"What did they do?" you felt odd speaking, as if you weren't supposed to. As if your words would scare him back into silence- much to your relief, they didn't, and Neil continued. 

"I-I'm not sure. They broke my software, they broke me. They made me dangerous, violent." Neil was growing worked up again, his shoulders tensing and his damaged hands balling into fists. "They made me want to hurt things, to hurt Abigail. Sometimes... sometimes I even wanted to hurt Peter." 

"So, what? They turned him into a deviant?" Gavin was speaking to you, and he looked to be on edge. His quick explanation seemed to make the most sense to you- Neil was a normal, obedient android. Some deviants came and woke him up for one reason or another, and the sudden onslaught of new emotions made him violent and unstable. 

"What model were the androids? What did they look like? Do you know anything else about them?" 

"They were kids- older kids, not the YK model. I don't know what model they were, but the one who spoke to me... she had..." Neil's voice was slowing, but he took a shaky, robotic breath and continued on, "She had blonde hair- in t-t-t-two pigtails on... on the side- of her head." You had pulled a pen from your pocket, scribbling these details furiously onto the skin of your palm, not having a notepad to write on. "The back of her head was g-g-g-gone, and f-f-flowers and p-plants grew out of it. She had blue- blue- blue... e-e-eyes." by the end of his sentence, Neil's voice was nothing more than a breath of air. 

"Do you know where they're hiding? Anything like that?" you pressed on, knowing that your time was running short.

"They... t-t-they tried to hide it, b-but when I was interfaced w-with by one of them I saw something. Art... gra-graffiti with an odd... s-s-symbol." Neil lurched forwards as his neck went slack, the thirium flow ebbing. "H-Hurry..." he breathed, and extending a trembling arm. The skin on it was coming in patches, showing the skeleton underneath as he fought to keep blue blood pumping through it. It extended in no particular direction, but once the skin began to peel away you knew it was meant for Nines to connect with. Nervously, after what had scared him earlier, he did just that, his own whitened hand resting on Neil's arm. His LED went yellow as he took in the information Neil was offering up. When the interface ended, Neil's LED was red and his blind eyes shifted with a snap to connect with Nines'. 

"You... You are..." he had something to say- something you knew was important. Nines knew it was important too, and so did Gavin. You were all waiting for his sentence to finish, but then the last of Neil's strength died and his gaze fell. "That..." Neil hissed, his eyelids drooping, "That's all... I... know..." the heavy whirring of his biocomponents slowed, slower, and then went completely silent, his blank eyes frozen on the floor. His entire body relaxed, his head dropping forwards. The exposed artificial vein in his stomach went empty as the last of his thirium pulsed through it. 

"Shit..." Gavin cursed, running a quick hand through his hair. He averted his gaze away from Neil's battered body, taking a step away. 

"Thank you, Neil." you said to the deactivated android, hoping, somehow, that he heard you. As a show of respect, you reached forward a hand, sliding his lids shut over his blind eyes. "Nines, what did he show you? Before he shut down?" you turn to your android partner, staring up at him. His ice blue eyes were trained on Neil, but they tore away to face you, and then shifted to Gavin before he spoke.

"A lead." he said, reaching his hands up to straighten his tie, "The graffiti he was speaking about shows hidden symbols that are decipherable by androids. If I am correct, then my predecessor, Connor, has some experience. I would like to speak with him if he and Lieutenant Anderson are still here reviewing evidence." Gavin let out a sigh, and grimaced at the thought of having to speak with Hank and Connor. 

"Fuckin' fine, but make it quick. I'm ready to go home." The three of you made your way back towards the exit, you stopping to shut down the terminal before you left. The evidence disappeared back behind a wall, Neil's disabled corpse hanging limply as it did so. Back upstairs, the bullpen was nearly empty. It was just about 8:00 pm, and the shift from day shift officers to night shift officers was just beginning. Passing Captain Fowler's office, you noticed that not even he was still here. Other than you, Gavin and Nines, the only other two people in, it seemed, the entirety of the building, was Hank and Connor. They were both absorbed in their terminals, tapping away at their holographic keyboards. 

"Hey, Hank?" you call across the offices, earning the Lieutenant's attention almost instantly. His head lifts to face you, and he nods his head in a greeting, clicking a few more keys before pulling his hands from the keyboard.

"What can I do for you? You find anything in the evidence?" Hank leaned back in his chair, Connor stopping his typing and tuning into the conversation as well. 

"Yeah, actually. Plenty. My Tin Can wants to talk to your Tin Can." Gavin leaned against the tables in the center of the bullpen, supporting himself by planting his hands at his sides. "Get on with it." 

"We rebooted the CK500 android in attempts to gather more information. It was weak and afraid, but we managed to convince it to tell us more about what had happened. It said that android models, older kids, had done something to its software and turned him into a deviant." Nines leaned himself against the same table as Gavin ever so slightly, and continued with an expression of scrutiny, "We interfaced, and I was given an image of graffiti. Connor, if I am remembering correctly, you had to follow a sort of trail to Jericho when you were searching for it. Maybe this is a similar thing." 

"Yes. I had to scan symbols disguised within the artwork." Connor tugged a highlighter-yellow sticky note from a stack resting on his desk, and pulled a pen from a pencil cup, clicking the back to reveal the ink-endowed tip. Scribbling quickly, he produced an image similar to the shape of a 'hashtag' sign, lifting the small paper and pointing it in your direction. "This was the shape."

"Yes, yes that's what I was shown." Nines pushed off of the desk, turning to face you and Gavin. He looked hopeful, and his eyes were bright, warmer than they usually were. 

"So where's the first one? Do we know where to start?" you were growing excited as well, a smile forming on your face. "Should we go now, or should we call Fowler?" The first solid jump in a case always sent adrenaline pumping through your veins, and as the pieces of this mystery began to click together you were eager to move it forwards. 

"Slow yourself, (Y/N)." Gavin said with a laugh that he tried to disguise as a scoff. "It's late. We need to talk to Cap' about this, and we can look at it in the morning." 

"But we can't waste time, what if more people are hurt-"

"(Y/N)." Gavin cuts you off, standing up straight and placing his hands on his hips. "No way are we going investigating alone in the middle of the fucking night. We're not ready, we'll get murdered by Fowler, and we all need to get a little rest." Gavin's gaze was set, determined. He wouldn't let you be stupid enough to go deviant hunting when you were wasted to shit the night before. You sigh and nod, understanding his reasoning but sure as hell not being happy with it. 

"Well look at you, caring." Hank says with a chuckle, the words making Gavin whip around with a scowl.

"Shut the hell up, Hank. Don't even give me that shit." 

"To answer your question, Detective (L/N), I do know where to start- But just as Detective Reed had said, it would be better if we waited until morning and could discuss this all with Fowler first." Gavin nodded at Nines, a subtle thank you for backing him up. 

"You'd better be in on time then. News like this shouldn't wait because you got yourself wasted." Hank said, poking fun at a tired Gavin just for the hell of it. Gavin rolled his eyes, forcing a tight smile.

"Goodnight, Lieutenant Anderson." He forced out through gritted teeth, his exhaustion sending him into a rather foul mood. He spun on his heel, making his way back to his desk. 

"Goodnight, Hank. Goodnight, Connor." you wave at the two, speaking much more politely, earning a goodnight back from the both of them and following after Gavin. As you grabbed your things from your desk and pushed in your chair, you smiled and caught Gavin's eye. "Thanks for letting me crash at your place last night. I hope it didn't make anything weird or something like that." Gavin smiled awkwardly back at you and shrugged.

"No problem. It was my fault for gettin' us wasted anyways." Gavin pushed his chair in as well, pulling his jacket more securely over his shoulders and starting off towards the buildings exits. You walked a pace behind, waving at the receptionist androids and pushing through the doors into the night sky. Gavin was still giving you a ride to your car, which was still at the bar you had gotten yourself drunk at. You slid into the passenger seat, stifling a yawn as the other two entered the car and set off. The car ride was generally silent, and before you knew it you were pulling up to see your familiar vehicle parked just where you had left it. "Here we are." Gavin said, turning to you and resting one hand on the steering wheel in a nonchalant manner. "I guess... I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Gavin." you say with a warm smile, in which, to your surprise, he returns in a genuine fashion. "Goodnight Nines!" you add on, and reach for the door handle.

"Goodnight, Detective (L/N). We'll be seeing you in the morning." with that, you're gone, slamming the door shut and entering your car. Nines exits the car as well, moving to the passenger seat. He buckles himself in, but Gavin lingers for a moment as your car growls to life and pulls away, out of the parking lot. The human detective watches you speed away, and lets out a sigh before finally beginning to do the same. "Can I ask you a... personal question, Detective?" Nines asks, breaking the silence that had only been disturbed by the roar of a car engine. 

"Fine." Gavin says bluntly, shifting the car out of reverse and into drive. He eases onto the gas pedal and the car starts forwards. 

"You feel something for Detective (L/N), don't you?" Just as quickly as Gavin had set his foot onto the gas did he slam it down on the brake, jerking both himself and Nines forwards. He sat in silence for a moment, the car now immobile, and then eased back onto the gas. All he said in response, though Nines could see traces of a red glow whenever passing under a streetlight, was,

"Shut your fuckin' mouth, Tin Can."


	13. The Trail

Thursday, October 28th, 7:49 am

Central Police Station

Getting to work early was something you had your mind set on- you set your alarm for 6:00 am rather than the usual 7:00, hoping to start following this trail you and your partners had discovered as soon as possible- you hadn't considered for even a moment that Gavin would be late, so you were left pacing around in front of your desk for a whole hour before he finally gave you any sign that he was alive. You had been sending him texts and phone calls every thirty minutes or so, and as you held your cell up to your ear once more for another attempted call you were losing all hope that he would ever answer. You let out a gasp, excitement rekindling in your chest as the ringing cut off and a very tired Gavin answered. 

"What the fuck are you doing, calling me 28 times at the crack of fucking dawn?" Someone clearly hadn't had their morning coffee yet.

"Gavin! Finally! I've been here waiting for you guys for a whole goddamn hour, I want to get started on this investigating!" you let yourself fall into your chair at last, satisfaction flowing through you now that Gavin had finally answered. 

"Work doesn't start for another forty minutes, asshole! I was trying to sleep!" you heard the sound of shuffling on the other end, and then Gavin let out a string of curses followed by a few thumps. You took a wild guess and suspected that he'd tried to get out of bed, his feet growing tangled in the blankets, carrying him to the floor in a very graceful manner. "This dumbass plastic asshole has been trying to get me to answer your calls for the last hour. I had to lock it in the bathroom for fucks sakes." You let out a dramatic gasp, and bark into the phone,

"So you knew I was trying to get a hold of you and you ignored me?" 

"Yep. Just a second." he didn't even give you a chance to complain further. Faintly, you made out the opening of a door, and then you could hear Nines loud and clear as he scolded Gavin.

"That was very immature of you, Detective Reed! I was simply trying to be a responsible partner and you have the audacity to lock me in the bathroom?"

"Hey, Tin Can! Shut the hell up and get me a goddamn coffee!" Gavin's voice became much clearer, and you guessed the phone was pressed back against his ear once more. "Sorry 'bout that. I'll be there in twenty, I guess."

"Good, thank you! Hurry!" the line clicks to an end just as you force out that last word, and your smile still splits your face as you set the phone face-down onto your desk. A second passes, and then a few more, and just like that you're restless again and don't know what to do with yourself. Rising from your seat, you take a quick glance around, your gaze landing on the break room. Maybe a doughnut will keep you busy. Pushing in your chair, you head off in that direction, smiling at Officer Miller as he offered a brief good morning. 

"Morning, (Y/N)!" Tina waved, passing by you with a coffee in hand on her way to her desk. They were here early, why couldn't Gavin be? Tina's leaving the break room left it empty, and you made a beeline for the box of fresh doughnuts. Only one was missing- most likely taken by Tina- so the box was packed with different colors and smells. You selected a pretty basic one with a brown icing and a cream filling- Boston cream had always been one of your favorites. Leaning on the table, you took the first bite of the pastry, savoring the richness of the chocolate. 20 minutes sure hadn't passed by the time you were done. A glance at the digital clock on the break room's refrigerator showed you that it had hardly been even three minutes. You were about to let out a groan of impatience when someone else walked into the break room and your boredom died ever so slightly.

"Hello, Detective (L/N)." Connor said with a wholesome smile, stopping in front of the coffee machine and pulling out the pot. "Are you ready to start the day?" Connor was wearing his signature Cyberlife jacket and pants, and his hair was styled the exact same as always. He poured a cup of coffee, presumably for Hank, and turned back to you after popping a lid on.

"More than ready! Gavin's taking forever to get here!" you extend an arm in the direction of the bullpen, motioning for Connor to lead the way back towards Hank. "I've never really worked on a case this big before. I'm... excited." Was it okay to be excited over something like this? Over finding killers? Maybe.

"I'm glad to hear. Studies show that people who enjoy their careers live longer than those who don't. After all, humans spend the grand majority of their time in the workplace." Connor's voice was matter-of-fact, and his contented smile never wavered. Hank was just sitting at his desk when the two of you arrived and the coffee was set down in front of him. "Here you are, Lieutenant." 

"Thanks, Con." Hank smiled, and gave you a nod as a greeting, "Pretty big investigation today, eh?"

"Hell yeah! This'll probably be the biggest case of my life so far." the biggest case, assuming you ended up cracking it. You had plenty of faith in yourself. Three great detectives and two advanced androids? Your chances seemed good.

"I'm gonna be 90 before Reed and Nines get here." Hank huffed out a laugh, voicing your thoughts from moments before almost exactly. 

"Lieutenant, I highly doubt that it will take almost 40 years for them to arrive...?" Connor's brows furrowed, and his smile faded into a confused expression. The joke Hank had made had flown right over his head. You let out a chuckle and Hank gave his eyes a roll. Your lighthearted conversation continued on for another 15 minutes or so, bouncing from one topic to another. Then, at long, long last, the precinct gates opened and Gavin walked in with Nines looming over his shoulder. 

"Did somebody call for the worlds greatest Detective?" Gavin said with a smile, holding his hands out at his sides to gain as much attention as possible.

"I'm not Detective yet, Reed!" Tina called from her desk with a grin, not even looking up from her desktop as she shot her snarky comment. You pushed off from where you were sitting leaned against the counters in the center of the bullpen, almost in the exact same way Gavin had been sitting there yesterday, and turned to face your partners.

"About time." Hank stood from his chair as well, "My hair was going grayer than it already is." Gavin said nothing, simply shot a glare at Hank before forcing his annoyance away and taking a sip from his coffee mug. A picture of a cat was presented on the front, and in big, ironically curly letters, the words 'Yet another claw-ful fucking day' danced just underneath it. 

"I notified Captain Fowler of our discovery on the way here. He is already expecting us, and we shouldn't keep him waiting." Nines gave you a small hello smile as he spoke, and then redirected his gaze momentarily towards Fowler's office. 

"Whatever you say, Tin Can." Gavin mumbled around the rim of his coffee as he took another sip. You wasted no time heading for the glass-walled office and updating Fowler on the case, letting him know to have possible backup on standby in case things grew dangerous. The moment you were dismissed from his office you went straight for the exit doors, offering to drive your partners to wherever you needed to start. Your car was pretty clean, it almost always was, and as Gavin slid into the passenger seat he couldn't help but let out a low whistle. You drove an old 2009 Volkswagen Beetle- the ones you saw in movies about the old days before self-driving cars and walking, talking computer people. At just under 30 years old, you hardly saw anything close to this model. Despite the rust speckling the outside of the car, the inside was in near-pristine condition. You loved this car like it was your own kid, and treated it as such. "What a ride." Gavin ran a hand along the dashboard, picking gently with a fingernail at the ripping seam of the leather-topped gear shift. You swat his hand away from it as if it were a fly.

"Yeah, it's nice. Don't wreck it." you knew he wouldn't, and he could tell that you were only joking, but he held his hands up in mock defense and leaned back into the seat. "Where'd you pick up this thing?"

"My parents sold it to me when I turned 18." you slipped the keys into the ignition, reversing out of the parking lot and casting a quick glance at Nines in the rear view mirror. "Where to?" directions were given and followed with ease, the android cutting off your lighthearted conversation about you saving up money to buy this car off your mom and dad whenever he needed to direct you left, right or straight. It had been just about 15 minutes when Nines told you to take a sudden left into darkened alleyway. You had made your way into the poorer part of Detroit by now. Buildings looked a gust of wind away from crumbling, and the streets were littered with trash and debris. The alleyway you had turned into looked particularly sketchy, cast in shadow and bordered in by two large, abandoned brick buildings that looked to have once been for some sort of commercial use- maybe a store or apartment complex.

"Here?" Gavin asks, stooping low to stare out of the window and up towards the roofs of the buildings with a sort of curiosity.

"Yes," Nines motioned for you to pull over a little bit ahead, into a small open space that was seemingly useless. It must have been for docking trucks delivering shipments or something alike. Whatever it was once used for, now, it was providing a safe, hidden enough area for the two cars carrying the five Detectives. Not a second was wasted before you were all out and on the move, headed straight for a painting of two hands, one human and one android, reaching to one another. You knew this art- you had seen it on the news years ago, when androids were just hitting the market. This was 'man's new hope' or whatever it was called, but over the years plagued with hate for androids, it was now littered with cusses and death wishes towards Cyberlife and anything related. 

"Here." you turn to Gavin as he takes a step forwards, pointing to one of those odd hashtag symbols blended with the blue tones of the paintings background. Nines nodded his head, and held up a hand, showing a projection of another piece of graffiti bound to be nearby. A few minutes of searching, and you had found that one, and then the next one, and then the next- the sun had crawled it's way over the horizon, punching the sky full of dazzling reds, oranges, yellows, and even the slightest bit of pink and purple. You had been led out from the alley, three blocks down and behind an old dilapidated apartment complex. You were growing rapidly claustrophobic and you weren't certain why. Walls rose all around you, and weeds broke through the cement underfoot in patches. Your head screamed danger but your heart still thumped with excitement at the thought of taking a step towards capturing these violent deviants. 

"This is it." Nines said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen over the five of you. One last set of graffiti climbed the walls ahead, a brand logo that read 'C & H Metal and Co.'. Vines chewed their way upwards along the bricks, blocking out a grand majority of the design around the words. You could barely make out the words 'Jericho's Angles' slightly obscured by the ivy, and spotted three of the odd symbols hidden here and there. Soon after Nines had halted, he was moving forwards again. "This is the building we're being led to."

"You're sure?" you ask, "It's nothing special. Not exactly hidden, either."

"I hate to express my doubts, but this doesn't feel right. This place is too obvious. Could these deviants really be hiding here?" Connor scanned his surroundings, LED yellow with skepticism and doubt. A shiver raced up your spine as the group approached a set of heavy looking double doors into the factory donning the name and hashtag signs. 

"I'm nearly certain." Nines confirmed with a resolute nod. 

"I got this." Gavin pulled out his gun, stepping in front of the group and moving to slip through the doors and take down whatever might be lurking inside.

"Detective, are you sure you wouldn't rather I take the lead? I am more disposable." Nines' offer was a genuine one, though you imagined Gavin to see it as a sort of brag or doubt towards his abilities. Reed scowled and shook his head. 

"I'm fine, Tin Can. Stay behind me for fucks sakes- that goes for all of you." with those parting words, he pressed forwards, giving no chance for anyone to protest. You watched, reaching for your own gun, as the door was pushed open to reveal darkness inside. Gavin disappeared for a moment, his foot placed to keep the door from swinging shut, and then he motioned for you all to follow. The first step inside filled your lungs with the scents of life- not the pleasant ones, though. The smell was thick and filled with the rot of plants and the ageing and dying of a once-bustling building. As your eyes adjusted to the new light, you made out dust motes dancing all around you, and you couldn't help but shudder again. The room you had stepped into was some sort of... lobby, or used to be, at least. Now, it was but a husk of it's former self, dark and grey and faded. 

"Keep alert." Hank warned. His gun was out and at the ready just like Gavin's. A quick look around showed that everyone had theirs out alongside you. The scan of the room was quick, and turned up empty, each of you fanning out to check under the desk, behind stacks of boxes, behind overturned chairs. No one was here other than you, and it seems like no one had been in here for ages. Everything was undisturbed until you all came in.

"If the deviants really are hiding here, then they must be coming in another way. I'm sure we would have noticed any signs of them passing through here by now." you point out, and Gavin sends you a nod of approval. You feel an odd sense of pride at his silent praise, and lower your gun to a more casual position. "Where are we headed now? This place is huge, it could take all day to explore if we move at this rate." 

"What are the chances of androids squatting here anyways?" Gavin relaxed his tense shoulders, running a quick hand through his hair and combing it off to the side so it didn't impair his vision. "'S it smart to just go frolicking around?"

"What if we split up? That way we can keep up our stealth and still cover ground quicker. I'm sure we can take a few androids in a fight, even if we are in smaller groups." Hank's suggestion wasn't a bad one, and you were going to agree when Nines cut in first. 

"That doesn't sound wise." he said simply, his LED a flaring crimson. You tilt your head, frowning and taking a step towards him.

"Are you okay?" you ask, and his gaze darts to face you as if he'd spaced out in the few moments of silence between his words and yours.

"Yes, I'm alright." he said a little too quickly, "I just have..." he trailed off, and shook his head. "Never mind. Everyone here is capable of handling themselves." Gavin let out a scoff, giving Nines a harsh pat on the shoulder. It was the shorter man's way of saying 'everything would be okay' without being too nice. You glanced briefly around the room. There were three doors to exit through that led deeper into the building.

"Then I guess we're splitting up. I'll take Con, you three can do whatever you want." Hank shot a quick glance at Connor, who simply nodded, A-Okay with the plan as it was so far.

"I'll investigate on my lonesome. I wouldn't want to leave one of you two alone, and it's smart to branch off in all directions at once." Nines' offered. You let out a hum, frowning once more. 

"Be careful, guys. You especially, Nines. Please don't get yourself hurt." the RK900 flashes a small smile, giving you a promise in the form of a nod and straightening out his jacket before turning and heading away towards the nearest door. "Good luck, you guys. Be safe." 

"You too. Scream if you need backup." Hank spoke with a certain tightness to his words. It didn't take a genius to recognize that he was worried, but he masked the fear for both himself and his partners with a forced chuckle. He turned his back to you. "Let's go, Connor." 

"Then that just leaves us." Gavin turns to the final set of doors, the only one a group hadn't already claimed. You crossed the lobby, running your fingertips along the dusty receptionists desk as you passed it. The door you were heading for was made of wood, rotted and distorted with age. The door itself was warped, slightly rounded by either water damage or heat, or maybe a mixture of the two. It didn't matter, and Gavin pushed the door open to reveal yet another ghost of the past. 

"This place is creepy..." you breathe, stepping over a minefield of little glass shards that had dropped from the shattered light above you. The walls were decorated with wallpaper that had once been intricate, detailed, beautiful, but was now peeling away in large rolls that almost mimicked long, slender fingers. Your claustrophobia from earlier in the day returned and your excitement began to dim, replaced by a hollowing feeling of dread. Gavin seemed to notice your paling face, and shot you a quick concerned glance. 

"You're gonna be alright? Not chickening out on me, are you?" he forced a laugh that sounded strained, just as uneasy as you, and you swallow the growing lump in your throat, shaking your head. You sucked a shaky breath in through your teeth, and let it back out in the form of a hiss.

"I'll be okay. Let's keep moving." Down the hallway you went, passing spots on the walls that were slightly more well-kept than others. Picture frames might have hung in these spots once, but now they were nowhere to be seen, remembered only by the more intense pigment of the paper that had previously sat behind them. "What are we expecting to find here?" you ask, desperate for conversation, something to take your mind off of the scenarios beginning to skitter through it like little mice of dread and terror. 

"I've got no idea. Who knows how may deviants there might be here, if there are any at all." much to your dismay, the conversation died there. You could be walking into a deathtrap. Silence felt necessary, aiding both your stealth and forming a solemn aura around you. The hallway brought you past door after door, all shut tightly, not budging an inch. Maybe you or Gavin could force them open, but not without a harsh kick, and that was much too loud to risk. You could come back to them after the rest of the building was clear, if you really wanted to. At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors. These ones were once grander than any other, a deep mahogany that would have been reminiscent of royalty. Now, just like the rest of the building, they were nothing grand at all. The brass handles were coated in a stubble of rust. Gingerly, you took one handle and Gavin took the other. He mouthed a countdown, three, two, one, and you shoved the doors open. They let out an agonizingly loud creeeeeak as their hinges protested the sudden movements, both doors stopping with a bang as they hit the walls to their left and right. You weren't ready for what was presented to you. It was... horrifying. Dark wood panels pressed together on the floors, coated in dirt and dust. A red carpet set underneath a desk, deep, dark brown, made of the same wood as the doors now at your sides. Bookshelves covered almost every inch of the walls save for the one window to the left of the office that was covered with thick wood. The few thin scraps of light slipped through the slats, highlighting the dust in the air and glittering off of the fresh, bright crimson that covered the desk and dripped onto the floor in large streams. 

"Oh my... fuck..." you couldn't find words as of now as you fought to process what it exactly was that you were seeing. It was a woman, that much was clear. Her hair was a mess, matted with blood, and her face was flush against the desk top. You knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight if you had been able to see it, and had to shut out images of her face, now reduced to a mess of blood and broken bone. Her hands rested limping on the table, fingernails slicked with blood both red and blue and showing clear sighs of a struggle. She was dead, yes. But that wasn't the scariest part. The scariest part was that her skin had only just begun to lose it's colour. The scariest part was that she couldn't have been been dead for more than just a few minutes. The scariest part was the sudden, low, drawn out creak of a floorboard. 

And it was right behind you.


	14. Run Faster

Thursday, October 28th, 9:02 am

C & H Metal & Co.

You whipped around at the speed of light itself and it still wasn't fast enough. A fist sped in your direction, connecting hard with the side of your face and throwing you right to the ground with a cry formed of pain and terror. The world around you exploded momentarily black, dots speckling your vision as you fought to piece together what the hell was going on. 

"Shit!" Gavin spat, and you heard the vicious pop of a bullet. "Shit!" Gavin cursed again at the sound of the bullet sinking into wood. You shook your head violently, shaking away the stars that had spread before your eyes and forcing yourself to your feet just in time to watch Gavin take a fist to the stomach. You grit your teeth at the pain still throbbing in your skull, but ran to his rescue and slammed the handle of your gun down onto the attackers head of black hair. It cracked against what you could only assume to be android plastic, and bounced right off of it once more. The android gave Gavin a harsh shove that sent him to the floor just like you had been moments earlier, before whipping around to face you and sending a violent shudder down your spine. The android was male, with a calm, blue LED on his temple. His eyes were a bright, soulless green, odd dark blue vein-like patterns crawling from the synthetic skin around his eyes, as if the thirium underneath was glowing. His bottom jaw had no skin at all, just the pale skeleton underneath. His hair was black, tangled, and he was tall. You didn't recognize this model, and a realization sped through your mind so quickly you almost missed it.

This must have been one of those TG models.

You hardly had time to react as the beast suddenly lunged towards you, but you cracked your gun back upwards and against his chin with a surprising accuracy. Despite the attack, he faltered only for a moment before throwing his fist towards your head again. You were ready this time, and ducked the shot, watching with horror as his fist continued forwards and into the mahogany door, cracking it. That was a powerful punch- it would have knocked you out cold. 

"Stop! Detroit Police!" Gavin's voice was solid and strong, dripping with malice. Over the androids shoulder you could see him with his shoulders set, gun aimed directly for you opponent in a perfect defensive stance. The android didn't even bat an eye as he pulled his arm back, spun on Gavin, and swatted the weapon out of his hands. Gavin managed to fire a bullet before his weapon was thrown away, and it couldn't have missed the android at point-blank range. You had even heard the sound of metal connecting with metal- but then the bullet clattered to the floor and the android continued on as if nothing had happened. "What the fuck..!" Gavin gasped, and went in for a well-aimed punch to the cheek. The TG stumbled with the connection, and then righted himself and moved to return the attack. You raised your gun, aimed, and fired three times. Not a single bullet made it through the androids skin. Each one tumbled to the ground, clicking like bells as they hit the hardwood flooring. This android must have some sort of armor. That was the only possible explanation.

"Run!!" you screech, and dive forwards, fastening a hand around the back of the androids black turtleneck. You gave it a tug using all of the strength that you could muster, pulling him away just long enough for Gavin to slip past and into the hallway. You joined him soon after, your adrenaline going haywire and pumping through your veins. You were used to this feeling of urgency, but in much smaller degrees. You were used to chasing- but, god, you were not used to being chased. You had to force yourself not to glance over your shoulder as you propelled yourself forwards, Gavin pulling ahead. He was faster than you, and so was the android, which was in hot pursuit and getting closer with every step. 

"Fuck!" Gavin slowed for a millisecond, catching your wrist in his hand and almost doubling his speed, dragging you along with him. You had never flown over the floor so quickly in your life. The door into the main lobby was within your sights, though it had fallen shut. Gavin let go of your hand and forced himself forwards impossibly quicker, not even bothering to open the damn thing and crashing right through it. Your feet crunched over the broken glass, but you ignored the feeling of it poking through the soles of your shoes and finally risked a look over your shoulder. You wished you hadn't. The simple action slowed you just enough for a blood-stained hand to extend towards you and fasten itself around your shirt. You were halted in your tracks, the sudden tension sending you forwards and to your knees. "(Y/N)!!" Gavin shouted, and he said something else that you weren't able to make sense of. The raw horror in your veins was ice hot and burning cold all at the same time. Your fall had tugged your shirt free from the androids hand and scraped up your knees. Somehow, miraculously, you still had your gun, and aimed it right for your attackers face, scrambling backwards and unloading bullet after bullet until the chamber clicked empty and filled you with even more dread. A single bullet had broken through the androids skin on his collarbone, but he still seemed unfazed by the damage. 

"What the fuck is going on in here?" a new voice chimed in, one that you were familiar with. You expected to feel relief, and though it was there for a moment, it was gone before you could bask in it's warmth. In it's place was searing pain as a hand tightened around your throat, suspending you in the air. Your airflow went dead and your mind began to grow foggy. You were swung one way, as if you were going to be launched across the room, and then Gavin was speeding in and sending his elbow down onto the androids. His elbow buckled as Gavin's connected with it, and his hand went limp. You tumbled to the ground with a thump, but were on your feet again in an instant to see Gavin locked in battle- he swung a fist, connecting and sending a spray of blue blood from the androids nose. The android retaliated with a high-kick that nearly connected with Gavin's rib cage, but hit him on the shoulder instead as he sidestepped as quickly as he could. Another punch from Gavin, and then a punch for Gavin that bust his eyebrow and drew blood from his nose. You had to do something. 

"Help him!" you call to Connor and Hank, racing forwards just as Gavin took a hit that sent him backwards. He would have collided with the floor, but you reached out your arms and cushioned the fall, dragging him backwards as he kicked to get away, Connor stepping in to take his place. Connor was puny compared to this android, but Gavin was puny compared to Connor and still managed to hold his own. 

"Where the fuck is our Tin Can?!" Gavin barked, wiping at his bloodied face with the back of his hand and fighting to stand. He swayed gently from side to side.

"I-I don't know!" you stand too, steadying him as best as possible, "Stay out of the fight, Gavin, you're hurt enough already!" you caught Gavin by the arm, shoving him gently away from the action as he moved to help. 

"Fuck no!" he moved forwards again, but this time he stopped on his own as the center door was kicked open and Nines appeared. He was just in time. Hank was pushed backwards, his back connecting with the receptionists desk harshly. He let out a shout as Connor had his legs swept from under him. The RK800 tumbled to the floor, but you wouldn't let him get hurt. You propelled yourself forwards, slamming your fist into the deviants stomach and ignoring the pain that went splintering up your wrist. You had connected with his thirium pump and stalled him momentarily. He recovered quicker than you had ever imagine, and sent you to the ground with another punch to your face.

"(Y/N)!" you heard Gavin shout, but neither of you could do anything to stop the attack. You wouldn't escape in time, and almost everyone else was injured- Nines was the only one left in fighting condition. You watched, letting out a scream as the android lifting a hefty black combat boot that, with enough force, would reduce your skull to mush. You screwed your eyes shut, and felt the air inches from your face shift. The androids boot had been right there, but Nines had just barely made it in time and bowled the deviant off of his feet. The two were matched for height, and Nines took him to the floor. You were in a daze. Moments earlier you had expected to see your life flash before your very eyes, but now Gavin was beside you, holding your face in his bloodied hands and trying to get you to hear him. You shot a glance at Nines to see that he still had the upper hand, and was sending fist after fist down upon the androids face. It was covered in blue blood, both from itself and Nines' splitting knuckles. The android suddenly lurched upwards, sending Nines away and onto his back, the tides of battle shifting so quickly. You moved, desperate to go and save him, but Gavin hissed out a sharp 'no!' and pulled you backwards. 

"Let me go, Gavin!! I have to help!" Connor went to help Nines instead, and together the android didn't stand a chance. You felt tears burning in your eyes at the sight of your android friends covered in concerning amounts of blue blood. Hooking his arms underneath the androids shoulders, Connor began to drag him a few paces backwards before he managed to break free. You let out a panicked cry as the deviant sent an elbow into Connor's thirium pump, breaking free, but Nines was already on his feet, gun drawn and pointed perfectly at the androids head. One clean shot could hit right between his eyes. With how the android froze up, you assumed that the bullet would pierce through there, unlike the rest of him.

"Don't move." Nines threatened, his cold, blue eyes glittering with hostility. He took a single step forwards, just out of the androids reach, and flicked his head to the side. Relief began to pulse through you at last. "Turn around, and move up against the wall to the right of the door." you clamped a hand over your mouth, biting down on your palm to hold in your tears as your terror slipped away, watching intently as the android complied and moved towards the door. "Hands behind your back, no sudden moves." 

"Is everyone okay?" Hank asks, and you didn't dare take your eyes off of the android. 

Before Gavin or you could get a word in, the android darted suddenly to the right. A bullet fired, sinking into the walls, and then the android was headed straight for the doors you had all entered through. He raced past you, drawing out a scream from you and weaving around overturned chairs. He stopped right in front of the doors, turning to face you all one last time. His moss-green eyes looked darker now, connecting with Nines' as the RK900 swung his gun to fire a bullet.

"Shoot it, Plastic!" Gavin commanded, and Nines was about to pull the trigger when the android spoke in an old, tinny voice. 

"It's only a matter of time before you're just like me." You watched as Nines' LED went red, skipping right over yellow, blinking at a stuttering pace. 

"Shoot it!!" Nines pulled the trigger, but he had halted for a moment too long and the android was gone before a bullet could connect with a weak spot. "No!!" Gavin left you and raced for the door, you struggling to your feet and following right behind him, pushing the doors open and wincing at the sudden onslaught of sunlight. It sent your head into throbbing pit of agony. A quick scan around showed nothing- the android seems to have disappeared into thin fucking air. Hank joined you, and so did the androids. You were panting, out of breath, your lungs aching and your head spinning, throbbing with pain. You were beat, both figuratively and literally. Bruises were sure to be blooming across your skin any moment now and blood was dripping from a split in your temple and the skin that had been sliced up on your knees. Gavin's left eyebrow was oozing blood, his nose and lip dripping in the same manner. His knuckles were also stained with crimson and cyan. Hank was the most intact of the group, though pain was scrawled across his face and a split ran across his cheek. 

"It's gone." Connor says, and a quick glance at him shows you that he isn't in the best condition either. The skin on his cheek is gone, crawling slowly back. Blue blood stains the front of his white dress shirt and his hair is a mess. Nines isn't any better, with thirium staining his knuckles, face and jacket. "We are in no shape to track it down."

"What is it with our luck and losing these fucking deviants?" Hank ran his hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and then letting his hand fall back to his side. "How the hell did everything go so wrong?" 

"There's a dead girl in the office at the end of the h-hallway we went down." it's difficult to force the words out as you remember the scene, and what must have happened moments before you discovered her. Your voice was wavering with lingering fear and emotion. Where had the deviant even come from? How had it been behind you? You had no clue, but you were grateful not to be dead. "That deviant just... popped up b-behind us. Beat the shit out of us for a m-minute before we could get away and start running."

"Jesus, thank god we got there in time-"

"Why didn't you shoot the fucking thing?" Gavin cut Hank off halfway through his sentence, gingerly running his fingertips over his busted lip and examining the blood that coated the digits. "What the hell happened to you? Why have you been acting so off lately?" He turned to face Nines, his expression twisted into a scowl. Nines opened his mouth to speak, letting out a small croak and then clamping his mouth shut, LED a bright yellow, unable to find any words. "And where the hell were you? We could've died- if you had been seconds later, we would all-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long." Nines' words were soft, scared, almost. Gavin didn't care, and continued to chew into him. Connor took a nervous step backwards, as did Hank, but you stood right at Gavin's side, ready to intervene if you had to. 

"It would have been your fault, Nines! Just a little more time, if you were a fucking moment later than (Y/N) would be dead and I'd have lost everything I-" Gavin cut himself off, suddenly going entirely pale. Your furrowed your eyebrows. He'd have lost everything he... what? Why were you so important to him? Why wasn't he angry that his own safety was compromised, or maybe that of Hank or Connor? Why you?

"Gavin, what do you-"

"N-Nevermind!" Gavin forced his gaze away at the sound of your words. He wiped once more at his bloody nose. "Just... fucking forget it!"

"No, Gavin, you can talk to me you know-"

"I said forget it!" Gavin whipped to face you now. His eyes were blazing, his face a bright red. You didn't know where the flushed colour had come from, but assumed it was just his rage. "I-" he bit his tongue to shut himself up, and shook his head, flipping his hood up. "Let's go. I'm riding with Hank and Connor."

"Gavin, please..!" you tried to speak to him again but he ignored you entirely.

"Let's go." he repeated, his tone of voice leaving no room for protest. 

"Shit... sorry, kid." Hank grumbled, almost inaudible, as he patted you comfortingly on the shoulder and followed after Gavin. Connor didn't say a thing, and you were left alone with Nines in your total and utter confusion. Had you done something wrong? Said something wrong? His words lingered in the front of your mind, pushing away every other thought so that all you knew was them.

I'd have lost everything I-

You had absolutely no idea what the last words in that phrase were. You wanted to know. You needed to know. You jumped as a hand was set onto your shoulder, and your eyes met Nines' icy blue ones. 

"We should go, Detective. I've notified Fowler of what has happened. He wants us to path up our wounds at home and we can take the remainder of the day off." You simply nod. You can't find the words to speak. You're exhausted, confused, hurt- so many emotions battle for dominance, and at the center of it all is the thought of Gavin. Nines doesn't ask, and you didn't have to offer as you hand him your keys and sit down in the passenger seat. You can't get him and his words out of your mind for the entire silent ride home. Gavin is all that you can think of.


	15. I'd Have Lost Everything I...

Thursday, October 28th, 9:58 am

Your Home

Your door opened with a familiar creak, the same sound your old door always made. It was comforting, at least a little bit, as you stepped inside with your eyes glued to the floor. Your heart was aching almost as strongly as everything else was. You couldn't help but repeat Gavin's words in your head. Where had you messed up...? He had been so... angry. 

"Your home is very aesthetically pleasing, Detective." Nines says in a quiet tone, attempting to lighten the gloom that hung over your heads. You did nothing more than hum, showing that you had acknowledged his question, and went straight to let your knees buckle and let you fall onto the couch. Everything was quiet save for the ringing in your ears and the almost inaudible sound of Nines' whirring biocomponents. "Do you have a first aid kit somewhere that I can retrieve? Your wounds shouldn't be left to fester for much longer."

"Y-Yeah." you scrape a hand through your hair, swallowing hard and forcing back the mixture of emotions in your throat, "It should be under the bathroom sink." you point in the bathrooms general direction, and Nines disappears to go grab the medical kit. You rest your elbows on your knees, your face falling into your hands. You let out a heavy sigh. Everything hurt so bad. You'd never known a pain like this before. You startle at the clicking of shoes on wood, and jerk to an upright position, turning to face Nines. His LED spins from blue to yellow, and then back again. He doesn't question your despair- at least, not yet. Instead, he takes a gentle seat beside you, placing the small box in his hands on the coffee table and unlatching the sides. He flips open the top, and turns to you. 

"What hurts the most?" he asks with a tilt to his head, and you almost let out a laugh, saying my heart in a joking manner. But now isn't the time for jokes. You lift a hand to gently trace a cut on your cheek, the most visible result from the punch the deviant had first hit you with when you'd discovered the dead body. Nines nods his head, and stands up again. "I'm going to get a cloth if that's alright." 

"No problem. T-They're in the drawer to the right of the stove." Nines is gone again. You have one more moment to yourself before you have to straighten out again and regather your straying emotions. You hear the sink run, the faint sound of splashing water, and then it shuts off and Nines is back again. 

"This might sting." he warns, but doesn't waste time getting to gently dabbing at your cut. You wince as the cloth comes in contact with the wound, but sit through it with little sound or complaint. The cloth is slightly warm, and having Nines clean your wounds reminds you of the time Gavin had done the same thing with the cut on your arm. Nines pulls away to dig through the first aid kit again, and a hand ghosts the place where you'd been sliced by Neil on your first day in the new precinct. Your hand dropped and Nines returned with a small tube of antiseptic cream. He drew just a little bit from the three-quarters-empty tube, and gently tapped it over your cut. It stung worse than the cloth, and you let out a few curses and pulled away. The pain brought tears to your eyes- No no, the pain amplified the tears in your eyes, almost pushing them over the edge. "Detective? Are you alright?" Nines furrowed his brows, setting the tube of antiseptic aside and wiping the excess off on the cloth. 

"Y-Yes!" you say quickly, turning away and wiping quickly at the tears that were now running down your face. "It just stings is all." your voice wavers halfway through the sentence and you hate that it does. You can't seem weak, not when everyone else is so strong. You can't be the only one who is breaking down. 

"Detective, I... I didn't want to say anything, but I know that something is bothering you." Nines rests his hands on his knees, and you can feel his gaze burning into your back with both concern and curiosity. "Is it something with Gavin?" the name sends a spear of pain through your chest and the tears push out faster. 

"N-No." your voice is so fucking weak. You keep it low, knowing that anything louder would send it cracking into splinters. "It's nothing, N-Nines." you heard Nines sigh.

"It isn't healthy to hide things like this, Detective. If it's any solace, I am just a machine- I won't judge you for anything." you feel the sofa beside you shift, and glance quickly to see Nines leaning forwards, resting his arms on his legs and trying to peer around your side and catch your gaze. You force in a breath, and try to force your walls down, meeting his icy eyes and cracking even further. "Please, (Y/N). You can speak to me." him using your first name was your breaking point, and you knew you could trust him with anything. You let out a shaking sob, covering your still-bleeding face with your hands and almost doubling over. 

"I-I-I.... I j-just-" You get cut off by another sob, and then bite your tongue to force them to stop so you can get out a coherent sentence. "I just... I'm so confused. Why was G-Gavin so a-angry..? What'd I do?" Nines let a hand rest on your upper back, patting it gently. "I must h-have done something wrong, r-right? We w-were g-getting along so w-well, and now it's all just thrown away and..." you ended with a frustrated huff, sobbing into your hands. 

"(Y/N)..." Nines' voice is packed with sympathy. For a moment, he doesn't speak, and when he does, you're shocked by how emotional his voice is. He doesn't sound like an android, he sounds entirely human. He must have some damn good comforting programs. "Gavin is... difficult. He has a lot of..." Nines stumbled over his words, as if struggling to find what exactly it is that he wanted to say. "A lot of unresolved personal issues. He struggles with a lot of things, trust issues being one of them." You wipe at your nose, and your gaze locks with Nines'. "You can't tell him I told you this or he'll send me to recycling, but he hasn't let himself grow close to someone for a very long time. He's so... afraid, of being hurt. It took months of time together for him to let me in at all, but..." The corner of Nines' lips twitched up into a faint smile, and his eyebrows creased with a sad amusement, "He cares about you so much. He's let you in faster than anyone he's ever met." your heart flutters in your chest like a caged bird. He... cares about you? 

"What...?" you breathe out, the tears returning.

"He cares about you quite a lot. More than anyone." you hesitate, and then shake your head. 

"No, no that can't be it. W-Why would he care about me? W-What did I d-do to deserve that?" your voice grows more shaky with every word, and then you have to stop speaking as it breaks. A few moments pass, your hand going over your mouth to quiet your crying. You finally regather yourself, swallowing down your wails and squeezing your eyes shut. 

"I... I don't know why he trusts you so much- no offense, of course." Nines rushes the last of the sentence out, and you let out a small chuckle at his words, "He doesn't have much left to be happy about in this world, but ever since you showed up, he's been like a completely new person. Even to me- even to the Lieutenant and Connor." A few more moments of silence dragged out.

"Sometimes I wish I was an android like you, Nines." you keep your voice light, and it's coated with a thick exhaustion. 

"Why would that be?" he tilts his head. You let a small smile grace your face, and you avert your gaze to fall to the floor. 

"No emotions... No feelings, no struggling through this shitty stuff." you scoff, and run your fingers through your hair.

"It's... not as nice as it might seem. Sometime's I wish I could feel more. And sometimes, I think that you and Gavin are helping me to do just that." you shift your gaze back to Nines'.

"Are you..."

"Deviant? No, I'm not. At least... I don't think I am." yet again, the two of you fell into silence. A few moments passed, both you and Nines simply basking in the silence. Nines was the one to finally break the quiet, almost a full minute later. "I should patch your wounds up now, if you'll allow me to."

"Yeah, that's... a good idea." 

\-----

After your wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, you had gone to your nearest pharmacy to pick us some Thirium 310 so that Nines could return to his optimal condition. The trip was quick, and then you had arrived back at home and taken a quick shower before telling Nines to make himself at home and taking the best nap of your life. You didn't wake until much, much later. The sun was sinking when you woke again, and you knew exactly what you had to do. You crawled from your blankets, threw on a change of decent-looking clothes, and made your way into the living room. Nines was seated on the couch, his eyes fallen shut and his LED swirling yellow. As you entered the room, his eyes opened, and he smiled warmly.

"Rise and shine, Detective. It's nearly eight at night. You slept like a rock. Are you hungry?" he stood, and you shake your head. 

"No, I can't eat right now. I need to go do something, do you mind sticking around here?" you pluck your keys from the kitchen counter, heading right for the door and slipping on your shoes.

"Oh, are you sure? It will be smart to eat, you need the energy." Nines approached the kitchen counter where your keys had previously sat, and leaned one arm against it nonchalantly. "Or I can start on dinner and have it ready by the time you are back. What would you like to eat?"

"Anythings fine, Nines, thank you." you smile back at him, and reach for the door handle. Before you do, you turn back to Nines, your gaze growing soft. "Hey, Nines?"

"Yes, Detective?"

"I want you to know that if you ever do go deviant, I'll help you figure out all these stupid feelings." Nines wasn't given the chance to speak as you twisted the door handle and slipped out of your house, into the cool, nighttime air. The sky was a dark purple, the moon crawling up into the sky in place of the sun. You desperately needed to talk to Gavin. After what Nines had told you, it wasn't a choice. You had to discuss what you had learned, and what the two of you felt. You wouldn't bother suppressing it, you were fond of the detective despite his prickly exterior. You found yourself admiring his looks whenever he wasn't paying attention, and you always felt the burning urge to keep him safe, even if that meant putting yourself in danger. You got into your car and set off in the direction you knew led to his home. 

\-----

Traffic had been nearly nonexistent. You pulled to a stop, hopping from your vehicle and slamming the door shut. A sudden nervousness flitted around in your stomach, a feral hummingbird trapped in your chest. You forced your feet forwards. You were a strong-willed, experienced detective. You had just almost had your skull crushed in by a six and a half foot deviant- you could force a few slightly embarrassing words out of your mouth, couldn't you? You stopped right outside of Gavin's door, lifting a hand. A light breeze tickled across the back of your neck, your hair tousled slightly and goosebumps rippling across your arms. You chewed lightly on the skin of your lip. A lasting ache rested in your head, and each wound was still stinging ever so slightly. Your heart was beating fast. Finally, with all of your willpower, you knocked on the door a single, quiet time. It was awkward, and made you inwardly cringe. You half prayed that he didn't even hear it. A series of thumps boomed from inside, and, using your extraordinary detective skills, you deducted that he did. Moments later, the door was opened just a crack, and Gavin, leaning against the wall to the right of the door, peeked out at you with a grimace. 

"What do you want?" his voice sounded ever so slightly hoarse, and despite the darkness of the interior, you could see the dark tones around his eyes, both from bruises and what you could only guess to be crying. 

"I... I need to talk to you. Please." you fiddled with the sleeve of your shirt, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. 

"Why?" he swallowed hard.

"I think we both have some things to say to one another." you didn't want to give away the topic of discussion. You know Gavin would absolutely not talk to you about his feelings if he had the choice not to. "Just... please, open the door. Just for a few minutes, Nines is waiting for me at home." Gavin sucked in a deep breath, and let it out in a huff that screamed discomfort. 

"Fine. But make it quick." Gavin pulled the door open the rest of the way, keeping his eyes trained on the floor, hiding his face. "The fuck do you want." every light in the house was out, and you could see the silhouette of blankets bundled haphazardly on the couch. You shut the door with your foot, leaning your back against it and flicking on the living room light. Gavin winced at the brightness, turning his head away further and crossing his arms, shoulders tight and jaw tense. 

"Gavin, I was talking to Nines earlier about what had happened. About what you had said." you didn't think Gavin could possibly tense up any further, but he did, building up wall after wall behind his eyes to make them look as emotionless as possible. You could see Gavin shaking. "You said that if I died, you would have lost everything that you... and then you stopped talking."

"So? What about it? Is this shit all you're here to talk about?" Gavin broke suddenly into a slow walk towards the couch, his back now to you. He needed to get away, and he wanted nothing more than for you to leave so he didn't break down in front of you. 

"What were you going to say?" you ignored his questions, pressing on and following after him. 

"Does it matter? I don't think it does. If this is all you've got to say, get the fuck out of my house." you felt your eyes growing watery again. "I've got things to do."

"What were you going to lose if I died? What would I have taken away?" you wanted to reach out to him, place a hand on his shoulder, anything to make him more comfortable. Anything to make him trust you. You had to force yourself not to, your hands beginning to tremble along with your bottom lip. 

"It. Doesn't. Matter."

"It does to me, Gavin, please!" you couldn't stop yourself as a hand reached out and grazed his arm. He tensed, whipping around and shoving your arm away. For the first time you got a good look at his face. It was littered with bruising, cuts that were poorly dealt with. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked so tired, so broken. 

"Don't touch me!" he barked suddenly, making you jump and take a few nervous paces backwards. Almost immediately, regret bloomed behind his eyes. He shoved it away, his gaze going flat and grey once more. "Why do you care? What'll you gain from hearing about all of my shitty problems? I don't need you to rub them in my fucking face!"

"Gavin, I would never do that, you can trust me!" further and further the tears built up, the tension in the room growing thick and the despair in your stomach making you ill. 

"I can't trust you, that's the thing! I can't trust anyone, (Y/N)!"

"Why not?" the question was stupid and you hate that it had tumbled from your lips. Gavin frowned, his eyebrows furrowing as he boiled over. You prepared for backlash, him shouting in your face. You prepared to be put down for being so nosy. 

"Because I'm fucked up, okay? Because I'm stupid, and messed up and I can't do anything right! I can't trust you because I'll only end up getting you fucked up as well!" the walls in his eyes were crumbling, and his anger was being devoured by a sorrow you had never imagined to see in him. "I get everyone I care about hurt or worse- I don't want that to happen to you!" Gavin had taken a few steps towards you, losing himself in the genuine terror he felt at the idea of any harm falling upon you. "I can't let you die, (Y/N), I can't do it- no one puts up with my bullshit, no one deals with me, but you won't leave me the fuck alone and now- now-" Gavin tangled his hands in his hair, balling them up into fists. "Now I'm attached to you and it's only a matter of fucking time before I get you hurt!" those last words, that final confession, it seemed to be what snapped Gavin back into reality. His eyes hollowed out, and his grip on his hair tightened as he realized what he'd said. His eyes were glossy. He looked terrified. He let his hands fall, crossing them once more and taking a few steps backwards. He looked so small. So afraid. Afraid of what you'd think of him now that you knew how he really felt. You didn't notice you'd started crying until just now, and the last pieces clicked together. He thought you were afraid of him. 

"Gavin..." you breathe, and you aren't even sure if he heard you. 

"Leave." his voice is small and shaky as he builds his walls back up. You open your mouth to speak, but he doesn't give you the chance. "Go, get out before I fuck this up even more! Leave before I say something I regret and make you hate me!" now Gavin was crying too. He wiped furiously at the tears working their way down his cheeks, and your heart began to flake apart at the very sight of him. Pity devoured your insides. What had made him this way? What had hurt him so gravely? "Get the fuck away from me." you can tell how hard those words are for him to say.

"No." your voice is firm, and Gavin grimaces. 

"Get lost!"

"No!!"

"Get out of my house!!" 

"No, Gavin! I won't leave you!" you don't even think about your next actions. You're moving forwards without telling yourself to, extending your arms without telling yourself to. You wrap him in a tight embrace, crying into his shoulder and not letting go. He let out a sound close to a sob, and tried to shove you away. You didn't budge, shivering and shaking and holding him tightly.

"Stop, (Y/N)!" He's pleading, still trying to shove you away, but you will not move. "Stop, please!! Please!!" Gavin doesn't try to muffle his tears anymore, desperate to get you out of his home before he lets you into his heart. He can't stop it for much longer. He wants to trust you so badly. He wants you to fix him, to fill the gaping hole in his heart. To kill the bad thoughts plaguing his mind. To make him happy again. "Please..." he's growing weaker, his voice softening, until he can't speak anymore and he gives in entirely. You wet his shirt with your tears, and at long last he gives up. His walls fall down, and his arms wrap around you in return. He hasn't had a shoulder to cry on for as long as he can remember. He hasn't had someone cling to him, seeking comfort, in the entirety of his life. He's never ever felt like he does right now, in that very moment. He hears the words in his head for the billionth time- he's tried to suppress that stupid sentence before, but with you in his arms he just... can't. He can't lie to himself.

He is in love with you. 

Gavin is almost certain that he was in love with you from day one. Your resilience, your cunning, your stunning features. You cared about everything, even those stupid fucking Tin Cans that he tried to hate so much. You had to biggest heart he had ever seen, and maybe that could make up for the disgusting thing that is his own. 

"What the hell are you doing to me?" he whispers, his voice no more than a croak. You hug him tighter. 

"Let me help you, Gavin Reed. Let me help you." your sobs fill the next moments of silence as Gavin fights to get a protest out. His brain wants to curse at you, his brain wants to push you away. His brain is screaming at him to do something to stop him from having someone to talk to. But his heart, so damaged and dark, has never known a light like yours. At last, he lets the words out, his eyes falling shut.

"Okay."


	16. Trust Me

Thursday, October 28th, 9:00 pm

Your Home

"I'll make sure Nines doesn't bring up anything he'd get from a scan, okay?" you promise Gavin as you slide your keys into your locked front door, giving them a twist and hearing the lock click open. Gavin simply nods in response, a hand rested on the back of his neck, the other one shoved in the pocket of his sweats. You push the door open, and almost immediately Nines comes into view, his LED a bright, blinking yellow and his jacket removed, the sleeves of his black turtleneck dress shirt rolled up past his elbows. 

"Detective! It's been over an hour, I was growing worried-" he cuts himself off as Gavin steps inside behind you, tilting his head before a knowing expression dons itself on his face. "Detective Reed, are you-" This time, you are the one to cut him off.

"Please, Nines, don't bring it up." your voice is soft, and though Nines looks as if he's going to protest, he bites his tongue and takes a few steps backwards to give the both of you some space to remove your shoes. "You said you were going to make dinner, right?" you try to push the awkwardness in the atmosphere away, and your question seems to have worked surprisingly well to lighten the mood. Nines nods his head, hands clasped behind his back, and turns to face the kitchen.

"Dinner is ready, and staying warm in the oven. I made extra on a whim, and it seems it has come in handy." Nines started forwards, fiddling briefly with the cuffs of his shirt, securing them up above his elbows, and arriving in your kitchen. He positioned himself in front of the stove, pulling it open and reaching in with his bare hands. 

"Jesus, Tin Can, no oven mitts?" Gavin takes a seat in one of the chairs around your small, round table, leaning back into it and crossing his arms over his chest. "What'd you make?" 

"Something rather simple." you took a seat across from Gavin, folding your arms on the tabletop and watching Nines brandish his spectacular dish. He tossed a potholder down on the center of the table, and then rested a casserole dish on top of that. Your jaw dropped. "This is a Chicken Tetrazzini- I've added roasted garlic mushrooms, a chicken sauteed in a white wine, topped with homemade breadcrumbs and a white bechamel sauce. I hope it's sufficient." you tore your gaze from the dish, mouth still agape, and met Gavin's eyes. He was equally dumbfounded.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Nines frowned at Gavin's words, his brows furrowing in a worried expression.

"Is it not good enough? Maybe you don't like mushrooms? I can make something else-"

"It's perfect, Nines! This is the fanciest food I've ever seen!" You leap from your chair, racing to your kitchen to grab two forks, not bothering with plates. Sliding back into your seat once more, you hand a fork to Gavin, mindful of the hot ceramic dish in the center of the table. Nines' worry vanished, and he smiled lightly, looking at Gavin for his approval as well. Gavin let out a huff, and stabbed his fork into the dish of perfect pasta. He hated to admit that it made his mouth water.

"Yeah, fine, this looks perfect." he mumbles reluctantly, but the praise is more than enough for Nines to straighten his back and lift his chin triumphant. Your fork meets the dish just as Gavin's had, and together, you take your first bite. Intense flavor erupts over your taste buds, and you can't help but let out satisfied sigh. "This really isn't too bad." Gavin wears a small smile, the first one you'd seen on him since that previous morning. Both you and him must have been starving, because you polished the entire casserole dish in under ten minutes, letting out a huff and leaning back in your chair. You had truly never eaten anything so perfect in your whole entire life. 

"I'll take care of the dishes." Nines offers, plucking the ceramic dish and both of your forks from the table. "Can I get you guys anything else? Water, maybe? I'm afraid I used of the last of your wine on dinner."

"Good, that wine needed to get used." you stand from your seat, stretching your arms over your head. Your body still ached from the fight you'd endured, but the relaxation you currently felt definitely helped to soothe it. "Want anything, Gav?" Gavin's eyebrows scrunched, and he grinned. 

"'Gav'?" he stood from his seat as well, sitting lightly against the table. You smile back, slightly embarrassed, and feel your face heat up. "Where'd that come from?" 

"I, uh... I dunno." You shrug, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. "It just kinda slipped out, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything." Gavin shakes his head, jutting out an elbow and bumping it against yours as best as he could from his distance. 

"I don't mind it, (N/N) (Nickname)." you felt your face heat up even further. Thank god the bruises littering it's surface were darker than your blush. "And, I'll take a water if you don't mind. Thanks, Plastic."

"Interesting. Gavin Reed saying thank you? (Y/N) must really be changing you." Nines answered, making you laugh and Gavin scoff, rolling his eyes. The android in the kitchen grabbed a cup from the cupboard, pressing it into the small water filter attached to your refrigerator. Then, he held it out to Gavin, who took it with a nod. 

"Don't push your luck or I'll go right back to being an asshole." Later, you and Gavin found yourselves on the sofa with all of your blankets, the TV playing loudly and Nines sitting idle in the kitchen. Hours flew by, movie after movie hardly being watched as you and Gavin talked about whatever came to mind. It was at least 1 am, the credits of an ancient horror film rolling in the background, when you brought the conversation back to earlier that day.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's getting late and we work tomorrow. With our luck, we'll need our energy. Getting the shit beat out of you is pretty tiring." both you and Gavin laugh at your morbidly honest joke, but neither of you move to stand just yet. 

"Why are we so unlucky? An android suicide, being held at gunpoint, getting our asses beat... I'm starting to think you're bad luck, (N/N)." Gavin leaned from his position with his back against the couches armrest to punch you playfully in the leg. You were in the same position on the opposite side, your legs crossing over one another, as tangled with each other as you were with the blankets. 

"Maybe i'm cursed!" you waggle your fingers dramatically, a toothy grin resting on your face as you did. You let your hands fall to your sides again, and said, "I don't know. I've never had this much action in two weeks."

"I'm still a little bit confused by this all. There's so many things that still don't add up." as you thought over everything you'd learned so far, your brows furrowed. "What's up?" Gavin asked, on arm resting on the backrest of the couch, the other going to scratch at the scar on his nose. 

"You remember at the Riverside, that hotel that was robbed?" you start, and Gavin nods, "When the android jumped out of the window and was caught by the other androids at the bottom... what did they look like?" Gavin tilted his head, scouring his memory. "The girl who had jumped had black hair, right? With orange bangs?"

"Yeah. And the other deviants she was running with..." you noted his use of a real pronoun, and couldn't help but smile, "One had black hair. I think it was a guy-" a puzzle piece clicked in place, "It was the same deviant we met today! The one who beat our asses!" Gavin leaned forwards, pointing a finger in your direction as he made the realization. You leaned forwards as well.

"Right! So the robbery had to be linked to the TG models! If we access Nines' memory and confirm it, then we can get a warrant to review the camera footage from the hotel that day!" your smile widens and your eyes brighten as Gavin returns the grin. He looks excited, satisfied that the case is growing closer to being solved. 

"And if we can review that footage, maybe we can learn more about their model numbers, who used to own the androids! Those leads might be just what we need to find out where the androids are-" Gavin suddenly cut himself off, and his expression dropped. His brows scrunched up, and then raised, and he let out a dramatic gasp. Another puzzle piece clicked- but this time, it only clicked for him.

"What??" you ask, panic swelling in your stomach. You immediately assumed the worst. Gavin didn't answer, instead flinging himself towards a standing position. His legs, still caught in the blankets, failed him, and he went tumbling front-first to the ground. He didn't miss a beat as he dragged himself away from the sofa, you pulling the blankets away to help free him. You followed after him much more carefully. 

"That... That android, it's... It's gotta be..!" you hear him mumbling frantically, going on about the Riverside androids or something like that. 

"Gavin, what's wrong? What did you figure out?" you knew his brain was moving quickly, connecting wires that you had both entirely overlooked until this very moment. He searched your coffee table, underneath it, under the couch, and tore the blankets away, shaking them out in search of something. "Gavin??" he ignored you, making his way over towards the kitchen table, where his leather jacket was set. He lifted it by the collar, patting it down haphazardly and letting out an 'aha!' as he felt the solidity of his cellphone. He pulled it from the pocket, and you reached his side, peering over his shoulder as he typed in his password and went straight for his text messages. "Gavin!" you shook his shoulder, and he passed you a quick glance before returning to his phone. He was typing furiously on his phone when he finally spoke.

"I think I have a lead, I think-" he went silent as his phone screen changed to an incoming call from Tina Chen. He clicked accept faster than light itself, holding the phone up to his ear. One of his hands rested on his hip, and he began to pace back and forth at a rapid pace. 

"Gavin, what's wrong?! 911?? What does that mean, are you hurt?" You heard the frantic voice of the officer from all the way across the room, but the volume didn't even make Gavin flinch.

"Tina!! I need Fowler's number right now! It's urgent!" Gavin barks into the phone, cutting in between her panic and concerns. 

"What? Why?" 

"Don't ask questions, I can explain it later! Please just-" Gavin's phone buzzed, and he pulled it away momentarily to view a text Tina had sent consisting of the captain's personal cell number. "Jesus, I thought we'd have to do at least some digging! You really do have everyone's phone number, huh?"

"That's my job as the local blackmailer! Go solve crimes, Gavin, I'll be waiting for a fucking explanation! And it better be a good one, spill the tea! It's not often that you call me at one in the morning!" Gavin began to thank her profusely, shouting one last loud thank you before hanging up and going straight to the cellphone app. 

"Can I get an explanation?" you ask, crossing your arms anxiously. Gavin nods his head, tapping in Captain Fowler's phone number and clicking call. It began to ring. 

"Ever since that day where we investigated the robbery, it's been in the back of my mind. I recognized one of those androids as they were running away." the phone continued to ring, and Gavin was still pacing, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. "I never saw her face, just blonde hair. But I just... knew I knew who she was and now- Now, it's clicked!" the call ends, and Fowler didn't pick up. "Fuck, Captain! Come on!" he dials the number again, and hits call. "The way she walked was so familiar! I had the name on the tip of my tongue and now I know where she's from! She's-" Gavin stopped his talking just before telling you his massive breakthrough. You let out a frustrated groan as he flung the phone to his ear. "Fowler!!" 

"What in god's name- Gavin?" The Captain was furious. "What the fuck do you think you're doing calling me in the midst of the goddamn fuckin' witching hours? Do you know how late it is? And how the hell did you get my personal number?" Gavin completely ignored all of his questions and insults, breaking out into a rant.

"Captain, I'm sorry but this is urgent! I've had a break in the case and I need a warrant to review the security footage from the Riverside hotel on the night of the robbery!" his pacing never ceased. It was making you more nervous by the second. "Please, Captain!"

"Are you crazy? Right now? This can't wait until morning?" Gavin shook his head, and then realized that the Captain couldn't see the action.

"No, Jeffrey! I have to do this now!" 

"Jesus christ- you really piss me off sometimes, Reed! You're so goddamn lucky I picked up the phone instead of putting it on silent!"

"I know, Fowler, thank you so much! Hurry, I'll be waiting!" Fowler hung up before Gavin could finish his sentence, but the detective wore the widest smile you'd seen him wear despite the scolding from his superior. "Yes!" he pumped a fist into the air, slipping his phone into his pocket and racing to Nines' side. The android was still immobile, his eyes shut, his LED a calm blue. "Get up, Tin Can! We have shit to do!" At once, Nines was awake, rocketing to his feet. Now, his LED spun yellow.

"Is everything okay? My internal chronometer reads 1:24 in the morning. Shouldn't you two be asleep?" Nines placed his hands on his hips, a motherly scowl crossing his features as his gaze flicked from Gavin to you.

"Gavin had a break in the case but he won't fucking tell me what it is he's figured out!" you were frustrated, and now you began to pace the room. 

"We need to go down the Riverside, okay? I recognize one of the androids we'd been chasing, one of the ones who fled the building before we stormed the place." Gavin slipped into his jacket and shoes, tapping his foot impatiently. "Come on guys, we don't have time to waste!"

"Who do you recognize the android to be?" you press, putting on your shoes and ignoring the untied laces as you grabbed a hoodie from it's spot on a hanger in your entrance closet, throwing it over your head. 

"You'll just have to wait and see, (Y/N). I might be wrong about this- god, I hope I'm wrong about this- but if I'm right, I might have just found the very key to finding these deviants." Gavin ripped open the front door, and booked it out to your car. He had your keys in his hand, and he slipped into your drivers seat. 

"Drive like a sane person, Gav! For the love of god, if you aren't going to tell us who the hell you think this android is, at least put your head on straight enough not to crash my car!" 

"It'll be okay, trust me. Let's go!"


	17. The Kamski Test

Thursday, October 29th, 1:49 am

Riverside Hotel

"Here's the security room. Your android can access the files with that terminal there, and it'll be projected up on the screen there-"

"Yeah yeah, we get it, thanks!" Gavin cut the poor, tired lady off and slammed the door in her face, racing to the terminal she had been pointing to before being so rudely shut out. The room you were in was dark and cramped, with a brown desk against the wall adjacent to the door. A large screen stretched from the top of the desk about six feet high, and a blue screen sat on the desktop. "Get to it, Nines!" Gavin clasped his hands, chewing the already-worn skin of his bottom lip. Nines approached the terminal, placing a hand down on the scanner. His skin peeled rapidly away, and his eyes went dark, his blue irises spinning as he rewound through the security footage. 

"Thursday, October 26- 4:00 am." Nines spoke aloud, his voice clear, and found the footage he was looking for. "Here." he said, and his eyes returned to normal as the screen lit up with an array of different images. There were about 20 different squares, all recordings from different security cameras at the exact same time. 

"Look out for the androids and tell me the moment you see them." Gavin planted his hands on the desktop, eyes narrowed as his gaze flicked from one camera to the next in quick succession. You did the same, spotting nothing out of the ordinary- oh no, there! 

"There!" you point, a finger racing up to direct towards a camera in the dead center displaying the back door that the deviants had broken in through. The HT300 you had seen in the evidence room stood immobile, hands folded in front of her, brown hair neat and tidy. When the door was breached, her head whipped to the side, and she was reaching for a button on the small table at her side, planning to alert more qualified security. Her hand was inches from it's destination when the same tall, black-haired android from that morning grabbed the back of her uniform, pulling her towards him and catching her head in his hands. With one swift, brutal crack, her neck was snapped like a twig, and she was shut down immediately.

"Model TG200M. That's-"

"The model Connor found at that crime scene a while back!" Gavin said, still glaring at the camera, more intently than before. After the TG200M came the female deviant who had held Nines at gunpoint. Through the poor quality of the camera, you could make out her dark hair, tied up in two buns. Her bangs were orange, framing her face, and on the exposed nape of her neck was a deep gash revealing sparking wires and working thirium veins. 

"She is a TG900F, the other android that my predecessor detected through it's thirium." one more figure walked through the door. This was the android that Gavin continued to freak out about. 

"Pause it, pause it!" Gavin ordered, and Nines did just that. "Can you zoom or some shit?" he asked, glancing over at Nines, who only shook his head. Letting out a string of curses, Gavin climbed right onto the table, bringing his eyes as close to the screen as possible.

"Detective, being that close is bad for your eyesight-"

"Shut it, Tin Can! Let me concentrate!" the room fell into silence, and then Gavin let out a gasp. "I knew it!" he launched himself backwards and back to the floor, grabbing your wrist in one hand and Nine's upper arm in the other. "I fucking knew it, oh my god- Back to the car!"

"Who is it, Gavin? Who?" Gavin didn't answer. Jesus, he was so frustrating!! You followed him wordlessly, eager to discover whatever the hell it was that he was hiding from you. There were very few people in the hallways, and the most of them were the same HT300 model you had just watched have her neck snapped through the cameras. They all passed you confused glances, but Gavin didn't care as he continued to lead the way rapidly towards the exit doors. He pushed the doors wide open, and took the few stairs two at a time, heading straight for your car. He let go of you and Nines, pulling his phone out again and clicking into his text messages. You could see him crafting a text, and then he let out a sigh and clicked call instead, raising the phone to his ear. 

"Come on, come on!" he hissed, coming to a grinding halt outside of your car, moving towards the drivers side door again. You didn't complain, stopping outside of the passenger side as Nines went for the back seat. Gavin's eyes lit up, and a voice you didn't recognize pierced through his phone.

"Baby bro? What's getting you to call me so early?" Gavin pulls open his door and falls into the driver seat. 

"Eli, good! Are you still at home? Do we have time to stop by and pay you a quick visit?" Gavin slipped his keys into the ignition, and hit the gas. You jerked forwards, letting out a startled cry, and whip to face him.

"Watch it, Gav! Jesus!" Gavin doesn't bat an eye, continuing recklessly. 

"Woah, is that a girl in the background? Aww, Gavvy, are you tryna use my fame to secure another one night stand?" Gavvy...? One night stand? You let out a disgusted sound, pinching the bridge of your nose and squeezing your eyes shut.

"Good Christ, Eli, no! Fuck no!! I don't care- if you have time to be a cheeky little piece of shit then you have time for me to stop by for a while." Gavin didn't let his brother protest, and continued on. You grimaced, gripping onto the handle above you for dear life. Gavin was going way over the speed limit and was very distracted, and neither of you had your badges so you couldn't get away with it with the 'police business' excuse. You prayed to god that no cops spotted you. "You've got those, uh... those Karen's, right? The robot ones?" you furrow your brows. 

"'Karens'? Far from it, bro. They're called C-" Gavin thumped through a pothole in the road, and you let out a swear, missing the name that Gavin's brother had said. "And yes, I do have them. Though one of them went missing or something-"

"Excuse me? 'Missing'? What does that mean, did she leave?" 

"Since when did you start calling androids she or he?" Eli changed the topic, and from what you could hear he seemed to be very interested in Gavin's shift of worldview. 

"Not the time, Eli. I'll be there in 40 minutes. Don't leave." Gavin didn't give his brother a chance to protest or add on any other words, hanging up and dropping his phone into his lap. You open your mouth to speak, to ask one of the many questions burning within your skull, but Gavin holds up a finger. "No questions. It's too much to explain, you just have to see for yourself. I need to concentrate on driving, we have to catch him before he leaves for his stupid vacation."

"Gavin, are you serious? You can't tell me anything?"

"No. Nothing. Just shut up and wait for us to get there."

\-----

The drive was beyond agonizing. Gavin was mumbling to himself throughout the entirety of the ride, though his words were always just quiet enough that you couldn't make sense of them. You left the city of Detroit, moving through the outskirts. Trees crowded around you, everything devoured in total darkness, the car still speeding forwards much too quick for comfort. At long, long last, the car broke through the treeline and you let out a gasp. The sight before you was absolutely stunning. You pulled out towards a lake, the moon reflecting on it's glass-smooth surface. Gavin slammed on the brakes, the car kicking up dirt behind it as it slowed with a screech. 

"Gavin!" you scolded, and he shouted back a pissy 'sorry'. He hardly had the keys out of the ignition by the time he shoved open his door and leaped from the seat. You followed, eager and excited since it seemed you were finally at your destination. You hurried to keep up with Gavin, Nines on your tail, and followed him up a fancy pathway, railings on either side to block you from tumbling into the water below. The house you were approaching looked like a fucking spaceship. It was black, angular, like an obsidian rock hollowed out and decorated with massive windows. You wanted to ask why the hell you were here but you know you wouldn't get an answer. Gavin reached the door, and gave it a hard three knocks, crossing his arms. He looked positively pissed. The door opened seconds later, and a familiar android showed her welcoming face.

"Gavin! Elijah has been expecting you. You're very lucky you came in time, he was preparing to leave for the plane. Please, come in!" she stepped aside, extending a slender arm and motioning for the three of you to enter. Gavin stormed his way in, sending the android a glare and not even waiting for her to lead the way towards a door to the right of the room. You caught yourself staring at a massive portrait hung on the wall in front of you.

"No." you say, and finally grab Gavin's arm, holding tight and yanking him backwards despite his eagerness to move on. "Gavin, no. Fuck no, this has to be a joke." you turn to him, eyes alive with unamusement. "What the fuck are we doing here? Why the fuck are we breaking into Elijah Kamski's house?! Is this some sort of prank??" 

"Gavvy!!" the door to the right of the portrait opened, and out came who you knew immediately to be Elijah fucking Kamski, the retired CEO of Cyberlife, in the flesh. Your jaw dropped, and Gavin rolled his eyes. Elijah dove at Gavin, wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him ever-so-tightly. Gavin was not amused, and shoved his brother away. "Baby brother, it's been so long since you've stopped by to visit me! Couldn't you have picked a more convenient time, like... when I'm not leaving for Hawaii?"

"I'm hardly any younger than you, dickwad! Now shut the hell up and let us in. I have to talk to you." Gavin looked humiliated, running a hand along his face and glaring daggers at his brother.

"Why the rush? I haven't even met your colleagues yet!" Kamski shoved past Gavin towards you and Nines, eyeing the android with amazement. "Well, hello RK900! Looks like you're still in mint condition, hmm?" Elijah caught Nines' arm, examining his hand with an odd curiosity. "How are you and Gavvy getting along?" Nines was smiling, and pulled his hand away, sending Reed an amused glance. 

"Well, 'Gavvy' was difficult in the beginning, but ever since our new partner (Y/N) joined our case he's been growing softer by the day." Nines knew exactly what he was doing, and so did Gavin. The man grimaced, covering his face with his hands as Elijah spotted you. 

"Lookie here, aren't you just a sight for sore eyes! I'm sure you know me- I'm Elijah Kamski, the one and only." Elijah extended a hand. You were almost afraid to shake it, entirely intimidated by this multi-millionaire. Not in a billion, trillion years would you have guessed that he and Gavin were related. The thought of that almost made you laugh out loud. After a moment, you took his hand, giving it a shake. "And what did my baby brother do to trap a girl like you in his spiderwebs of love?" you let out a laugh-scoff mixture, and shake your head.

"We aren't a thing, Mr. Kamski. We're simply work partners." your hands separated, and Elijah let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, you aren't a thing- you're very funny- (Y/N), was it?" you nod. "Good. It's a pleasure to meet you." Elijah finally turned back to Gavin, who was in the midst of a mental breakdown. "So, Gavvy, you're here considering my missing Chloe?" You let out a silent 'ohhhh' and nodded your head slowly, finally grasping the last loose wire tying together this situation.

"Yeah, finally. About time we got to the point." Gavin took the lead, making his way through the door Elijah had come through. It lead to a large pool, the water a deep red. The entire far wall was made of glass, with two chairs and a single side table sitting against them. Instead of heading that way, Gavin broke off to the right, pushing through another set of doors into the home itself, a grand kitchen and a living room that took your very breath away. You were guided to the two sofas facing one another with a coffee table in between. Gavin, you and Nines sat on one side while Elijah sat on the other, elbows rested on his knees and his chin rested on his hands, fingers interlaced. 

"Why do you care?" Kamski asked, his gaze calm and calculated. He reminded you of an android himself. Right now, his colder demeanor was so different from his bubbly, excited personality you'd witnessed before. 

"We're investigating a series of murders and robberies performed by deviants. So far we've tied a few TG models and one of your Chloe's to the case. When did she go missing?" a moment of silence hung over you all, and then Elijah let out a chuckle. His gaze turned to you, and Gavin let out a huff, his face falling into his hands. He already knew that Elijah was going to change the topic.

"You really have changed him, haven't you? I remember when he wouldn't address a single android by anything other than 'it'." Elijah seemed almost whimsical as he reflected on the past, "The day that android took our younger sister away-" Gavin let out a choked sound, and leaned forwards, shaking his head furiously.

"No no no no no no Eli, shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Elijah spoke right through his words.

"That was the day that he vowed never to treat an android with an ounce of respect." Gavin covered his face with his hands yet again, pulling his knees to his chest. You frowned, and turned to Gavin, who was trying to sink so far into the couch cushions that he disappeared entirely. 

"Gavin..." you mutter sympathetically, and he lets his hands fall away. He trains his gaze on the floor.

"This is why I don't visit you, Eli. Especially not with other people. Can we please get back on topic?" Gavin begged, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. 

"Oh, yes- sorry, I tend to get distracted." Elijah smiled, "Now, where were we..." he tapped his chin, and then nodded. "Right. Chloe disappeared... three months ago or so. It's a little bit lonely around here with only two of them. Speaking of Chloe- Chloe?" Kamski called, clapping his hands as if he were trying to turn on clap-on clap-off lights. Chloe appeared in the doorway with her lifeless smile. There was no chance that she was deviant.

"Yes, Elijah? What can I do for you?" she folded her hands in front of her. 

"Could you get us all some wine? The finest wine I have, please- and some thirium 330 for our android friend here." Elijah extended a hand towards Nines, who smiled and nodded gratefully. Thirium 330 was a delicacy, something very rare and expensive that amplified an androids healing process by almost six times.

"Chloe has been gone for three months? Did you ever report it to the police?" you furrow your brows. With how robotic the other Chloe was, it was difficult to believe that the missing Chloe deviated and left, driven by her own free will. Kamski shrugged. 

"I think someone stole her, but I wasn't really bothered by it. If I ever need a replacement, I can always request having another one built." Kamski let his chin fall back into his hand, "Or maybe I could purchase an RK900 like your partner for myself! It does look quite remarkable." you grimace, and glance at Nines. 

"He's a he, not an it." you defend. You never had the guts to stand up to Gavin, but for some odd reason you felt like you could tell off Elijah. Elijah let out a laugh, and met Nines' icy gaze. 

"You're getting distracted again." Gavin was still annoyed, and his foot began to tap. "Let's get these questions over with. Did you find any trace at all that someone had broken in? Maybe a Chloe spotted an intruder?" 

"No, not that I'm aware of. Chloe, you didn't see anything, did you?" just in time, the blonde android arrived with a tray. Three glasses of golden wine were balanced on top, and a martini glass filled with a dark blue liquid you knew to be thirium 330. 

"No, Elijah. Not that I can remember." She set the tray down, and you each reached for your drinks- except for Gavin, who stayed completely still.

"You got some sort of tracker on her or something?" he continued to interrogate, a frown still evident on his face. He and Elijah didn't seem to get along very well: Or, at least, Gavin didn't seem to get along well with Elijah. 

"Yes, but just like with most deviants, the tracker stops working. I have no way of tracing her, nor the TG models you mentioned earlier." Elijah took a sip of his wine, and you did the same. It was rich with flavor, and must have cost a small fortune. 

"So you do listen." Gavin said with a snicker, "What can you tell me about these TG models? We met a TG200 this morning, and I'm sure you can guess what it did to us." Gavin pointed up at his battered face, and Elijah flashed a toothy grin, taking in the sight of his battle wounds, and then taking in yours.

"Yes, I was going to ask you about that. Seems like you got quite the beating!" Elijah laughed, even though his joke was nowhere near funny. You took a sip of your drink, and he continued. Gavin let out yet another groan as Elijah grew off track once more. "It's a shame that your RK900 wasn't able to stop the attack sooner than it- sorry, he had." Elijah's gaze was back on Nines, and... for once, you really wanted to hear what Elijah had to say. "Did the TG put up a fight?" Nines blinked slowly, and when he opened his mouth to speak, a second passed where no sound came out. He finally got his voice to work.

"I... didn't hear the struggle until I was almost too late. I wish I had been faster..." Nines stared down at his drink, swirling the substance around gently. 

"And did you catch this deviant?" Elijah batted his eyelashes innocently, already seeming to know the answer to this question. You were confused as to why he even asked it. 

"N-No." Nines had stuttered, much to your surprise, "It got away. I didn't shoot it fast enough." 

"And why is that?" Nines shifted uncomfortably, and set his glass down. "What stopped you from shooting it?" 

"It... said something to me." Nines' eyes lost focus as he replayed the memory in his head. "Something... I don't quite understand."

"Nines, that's enough. You don't have to answer him." Gavin was concerned. You could see it in his eyes; he knew something was up, and he wouldn't stand for it. You admired the fact that he was standing up for Nines, but Elijah ignored his efforts and persisted.

"What did it say? Did it say something that... scared you? Did you feel fear? Or did it say something that made you feel bad for it?" Elijah leaned forwards, setting his glass down. His blue eyes never shifted from Nines'. 

"It said... 'It's only a matter of time... before you're just like me'." Nines' LED was yellow. Gavin rocketed to his feet, and took a single, threatening step towards Elijah. 

"That's enough Eli, leave him alone." Elijah glanced up at Gavin, amusement glittering in his gaze. "He's been through shit- we all have. Stop interrogating him, we're the ones asking you questions."

"Now now, Gavvy. I don't give up confidential information so easily." Elijah rose to his feet, folding his hands behind his back and redirecting his gaze to Nines, "If you really want me to tell you everything I know about the TG models, you'll have to help me with a small experiment. RK900, could you please stand up?" Elijah planted a hand on Gavin's chest, pushing him backwards past a side table. He turned to said table, pulling on the handle of a drawer.

"Elijah, what the hell?" Gavin protested as his brother pulled a gun from the table's compartment, holding it by the barrel in a non-threatening manner. Nines stood slowly, and now his LED was red. You weren't sure how to feel. You tried to keep your breathing steady as Elijah motioned for Nines to step out into the open, and glanced briefly at Chloe, who was stood by the door. She didn't need to be told to come to his aid.

"This little... experiment is called the Kamski test. It's proved... very interesting in the past." Chloe stopped in front of Kamski, who gently guided her to her knees. "Deviancy is a very interesting concept, and you, RK900, are a complex vessel for it to live within."

"I'm not a deviant." Nines said bluntly, and Elijah reacted with a slow nod.

"You may think that, but there's only one real way to find out." Kamski stood at Nines' side, taking his arm and placing the gun within his hand, training it upon Chloe's head. 

"Elijah, what are you doing?" Gavin moved to intercept, but Elijah raised a palm in a silent 'stop'. Nines was beginning to panic.

"Don't stop this, Gavin. Just don't." much to your surprise, Gavin actually froze. "What's more important to you, RK? This Chloe is lifeless, emotionless- a machine. But she is an android, she is one of your people. Shoot her and I'll tell you everything." Kamski stood at Nines' side, seeming to completely forget about you and Gavin, "Or, you could let her live. Sparing her will force you to miss out on information that might be vital to your investigation." 

"Kamski!" you tried to get his attention, and he turned to face you. He was still smiling, and took a few steps away to stand at Chloe's side. "Mr. Kamski, I think it's about time we left!" Nines' LED was blinking that crimson colour, and your heart began to speed up. 

"Shoot her, RK900. Shoot her to save human lives." Nines' arm tensed, and you panicked. He was going to pull the trigger!

"No, Nines!! Don't shoot!" you scrambled to his side, placing your arm on his shoulder. Gavin raced to his other side, and barked,

"Nines, put the gun away! We don't need this shitty information!"

"Shoot her! Do it for the case! Do it!" Elijah's voice raised, and his eyes were glowing with exhilaration. "Shoot her now!" he was entirely engrossed in the experiment. 

"Don't!" Gavin demanded, his steely gaze boring into Nines' face. Nines didn't know what to do. His thirium pump sped up, his biocomponents were working in overdrive. One half of his brain screamed 'DO IT FOR THE CASE' and the other screeched 'SHE IS INNOCENT'. He was no deviant- the case should be his ultimate priority, should it not? But with Gavin and you at his sides, contradicting his order, he didn't know what to do. 

And then, suddenly, a new option came into view. Nines was very, very... startled. This new option didn't seem like a good one, but his body followed it on it's own as his gun-wielding arm jerked to the side, now trained on Elijah. Gavin let out a scream, and you did just the same. Elijah furrowed his brows, and his arms darted upwards into a raised position. Nines' audio processors seemed to momentarily malfunction. This new option, SHOOT KAMSKI, seemed... smart. For a split second, he was convinced that pulling the trigger now, sending a bullet into Kamski's head, was the best option- and then sense flooded back into his veins, and terror pulsated through him. His LED was flashing now, a strobe light on the side of his head. He had almost shot his creator. He had almost killed Gavin's brother. He let out a choked cry, and dropped the gun to the floor as if it had burnt him. Stumbling backwards, he lost his footing, tripping over another side table and colliding with the ground.

"Nines!" you stumbled to his side, immediately linking this reaction with the one from back at the crime scene with the abandoned WR600 he had shot in the head. Nines stared down at his hands, his audio processors flooding back to him. Everything was suddenly so loud. He hated this feeling that was pulsing through his synthetic veins. He hated the sudden violence he had felt. He hated that he was really, honestly, going to shoot Elijah Kamski. 

"Well, well, well!" Elijah took a few steps forwards, dismissing Chloe with a wave as the situation diffused. Nines was still on the ground, his synthetic heart pulsing out of his chest. Both you and Gavin were at his side, terrified alongside him. "It seems that there is something... new in your software."

"No!" Nines' voice was small, and his blue eyes met Elijah's, "No, I'm not a deviant!"

"I think you're closer to being a deviant than you first thought." Pressing and pressing, Elijah the persistent was teetering close to an edge- Gavin was fuming, and you thought he'd flash out a fist and punch Kamski right across the face. Gavin rose slowly, menacingly to his feet, staring his brother down like a cat about to pounce. 

"I am not a deviant, I am a machine! Designed to accomplish a task, nothing more!" 

"You let Chloe live! And now, now you're showing every single sign of fear that an android can show. There is no other option, you-" you had guessed right. Gavin's fist flew forwards, right across his brothers face, sending him right to the ground. Chloe let out a gasp, and raced to his aid, but he held out a hand to keep her at bay. Gavin started forwards, and fastened his fist around the collar of Kamski's black t-shirt, lifting him to his feet and slamming him violently against the wall.

"I told you to leave him alone, Eli! Stop terrorizing my fucking android! You will tell us the information about those deviants or I will arrest you for withholding information pertaining to our case!" Elijah went to protest, but all it took was Gavin raising another fist in a threatening manner for him to break. 

"Okay! Okay!" Elijah shouted, pushing Gavin away and brushing off his clothing. Gavin still stared at him for a moment, before tearing his gaze away with a curse and turning to you and Nines.

"You okay, Tin Can?" he asked, his voice still dripping with acid. Nines, still troubled, nodded his head and straightened out his tie, running a hand through his hair to fix it up again. 

"I'm alright, and I'm sorry for my actions. I'm not sure why I acted as I did." the pity in your heart was powerful. Nines felt so bad, you could see the guilt in every single feature of his face. You don't know what happened but you know it wasn't his fault- when he had aimed that gun at Elijah, it hadn't been him. You refused to believe that it had been him.

"It's okay, Nines. It's okay. Let's sit back down." You guided the startled android back to the couch, and all four of you returned to your earlier seating arrangement. Gavin finally took his drink, chugging the whole thing in one go and slamming the glass back down on the tray with a sigh.

"Now." He glared at Elijah harder than ever, "I am fed up with your bullshit. You will tell us everything you know without going out on another one of your philosophy rants, and you won't fucking complain!" Elijah lifted his hands in a defensive manner at his brothers words, just as annoyed by Gavin's bossiness as his angry brother was with his side tracking. 

"Fine, fine." he huffed, "You're no fun anymore, Gavvy. You used to love my Kamski test." Elijah rested his chin on his hands, elbows on his knees, just like earlier. If it weren't for the overturned side table and the gun on the floor, it was as if nothing had even happened. After a few moments of silence as everyone regathered their thoughts, Elijah spoke in his same calm tone, with his same calculated demeanor. There wasn't even a single sign of the deranged man who'd tried to get Nines to hurt that poor android. "I'll tell you everything I know."


	18. The Worst Partner of All

Friday, October 30th, 8:39 am

Central Police Station

"Here," Gavin placed a coffee down on the table in front of you, taking a sip from his own caffeinated drink as he did so. The both of you were understandably exhausted. You hadn't gotten home last night until well after 4 am, and then getting to sleep was a whole other issue in of itself. You and Gavin had stayed up theorizing despite Nines' scolding until you physically couldn't anymore, and passed out on your sofa. You were now running on 2 hours of sleep and a PB&J sandwich.

"Thanks, Gav." you answer with a tired smile, taking a sip of the slightly-burnt coffee and letting out a satisfied sigh, as if it tasted better than the whats-it-called that Nines had made the night before. Despite today's exhaustion, you personally believed that it had been completely worth it to stay and talk to Elijah. You had learned so much vital information.

"Those TG models are interesting things alright. The TG200 you say you found is one of the most complicated models I'd ever created. It was installed with two new AI programs I was fussing with. The IGL program was one I'd been working on for years! I was so close to perfecting it when I retired. It drives an Android to want to improve, and to learn- the android it was used on started off with no more than High school level intelligence in it's database, but as it was exposed to more and more new things it would retain all information and learn just like a human would. It would also want to improve itself physically, and could learn sports techniques, fighting techniques, all of that. It was built like that so that the parents could actually teach it! Genius, right?" Elijah's explanation of the IGL Alpha AI was a short one, and you were certain that it was much more complicated than what you had heard. He continued to go on about how only the TG100 and 200 were given this AI as a trial phase. Alongside the IGL program was a much more undeveloped AI Kamski called the RTG Beta. This software was meant to make the TG androids have the option to rebel just like a teenager would in an attempt to give the parents a challenge or a need to keep the robot teenager in check. Elijah assumes that it's this model that is making these TG deviants so violent.

"What are we starting with today, Tin Can?" Gavin asked around the rim of his coffee cup, his tired eyes flicking over to Nines, who was leaned against the standing table just like you and Reed. 

"We don't have any leads as of now. After we left the abandoned building yesterday, Connor and Hank reported back to the station. Then they brought other officers to search the scene, and found almost nothing other than the dead woman." you shudder at the memory of the poor girl, her face bashed in by the ruthless android who had almost done the same to you. "She was Jennifer Lowes- another police officer." your head raised at the name. You recognized it immediately- Jennifer was one of the officers from the precinct nearest your old one. She was somewhat of a rival to a few of your old coworkers. You had never met her face to face, but you still frowned at the news. 

"Shit, another DPD?" Gavin shook his head, tapping his fingers almost nervously on the tabletop, "This has to be a pattern, yeah?" he turns his head, catching your eye and biting at his lip. 

"Seems likely to me. This can't be coincidence anymore, can it?" both you and Gavin are now looking at Nines, who hesitates a moment, LED yellow, before speaking. 

"It's... likely, but could still just be chance. Statistically speaking, there is always a chance for unlikely events to take place." you see Gavin roll his eyes dramatically at the Android's words, as if he'd spoken them many times before and they pissed Gavin off. You were about to cut in with a counter to Nines' dismissal when a new voice sliced into the conversation and Tine strolled into the break room. 

"Well, good morning to you two! How rude of you not to send me a memo." she approached the table, setting her hands down and leaning against it with a smirk. Both you and Gavin shared a glance, confused by her words. 

"What memo?" Gavin quirked a brow, taking another sip of his coffee. Tina laughed, as if she thought Gavin was playing dumb or something like that. 

"You never told me that it was 'bring your billionaire brother to work day'. I forgot mine at home!" Tina was grinning at her own joke, but you could see Gavin's entire soul leave his body. 

"What." he hissed, slamming his coffee down and leaning in towards Officer Chen. "What the fuck does that mean, Tina? What kind of riddle is this? Huh?" Tina's brows furrowed, and then her jaw dropped with a gasp. Now she looked guilty. A hand raised to hover over her mouth, and she looked to you, and then Nines, for help. 

"I, uh... You haven't been to your desk yet today, have you...?" chuckling nervously, Tina took off her officer hat and fiddled with it awkwardly in her hands. Gavin was gone in an instant, leaving his coffee to grow cold alongside yours as you raced after him. "I'm sorry, Gavin!!" Tina called after the two of you, but Gavin ignored her entirely and stormed his way into the bullpen.

"Elijah!" he hollered, acid dripping from his words. If it were possible, steam would be blowing out of his ears and he'd be breathing pure fire as you spotted what he was seeing. Sitting in his chair, at his desk, was Elijah Kamski, feet propped up on the desktop and an electronic book in hand. At the sound of his name, Elijah glanced nonchalantly in your direction, waving innocently and returning to whatever novel he was currently engrossed in. "What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Hawaii? Or anywhere far far away from me and my work?" Gavin continued across the offices, stomping to his desk and crossing his arms. His foot began to jackhammer against the ground, and all eyes turned to him as he began to make a scene.

"I cancelled the vacation just for you, Gavvy!" Elijah finally set his book down and rose to his feet. Tina was at your side now, watching the whole altercation with a mixture of pity, guilt, and amusement hidden in the curve of her frown.

"This will be interesting." Nines sighed, standing to your left with his arms folded behind him. 

"I know you're struggling with this case, and who better to help you than the one who knows the most about androids on our entire planet?" Elijah placed an arm around Gavin's shoulder, trying to bend Gavin over and noogie his head with a fist. Gavin wasn't having it, and shoved the older man away with a scowl. 

"Are you kidding me? You can't just invite yourself into my case! This is official police business, and you're not qualified to help out!" Kamski grinned widely at Gavin's words, and you knew that he had the perfect explanation to contradict them. 

"For your information, Jeffrey owed me a favor. In exchange for me gifting his DPD branch with your state-of-the-art partner, he said he owed me one- and I'm cashing in the IOU to get myself put onto the case as a civilian aid!" Gavin whipped to face Nines. It was clear that the human detective had never even known that Nines was a gift from Kamski, who had most likely told Fowler to assign it to his baby brother specifically. Getting mad at Elijah for that was a whole other problem for a different time. Now, Gavin was storming back over to you and Nines, grabbing the both of you by the wrist and dragging you away to Fowler's office. The door wasn't even open when he started to scold.

"Reed, don't make this difficult. It is what it is. Just like your other partners, Mr. Kamski will be a big help." Fowler didn't bother looking up from his computer, engrossed in his work as Gavin began to freak out.

"Captain, you can't keep doing this to me!" he collapsed into one of the chairs in front of Fowler's desk, letting his head fall into his hands. "I will admit- and don't you fucking say anything- I enjoy working with (Y/N) and my stupid- our Tin Can. Hank and Connor? That's a whole other story, but I'm dealing with it! Elijah, though? The shittiest brother in the entire world? You can't- You can't do that!" Gavin was standing again, having sat for only a moment, and broke out into a pace around the room. 

"Frankly, Reed, I don't care! I owed Elijah, and now he's on the case. He knows more about androids than anyone in the goddamn room, and I'm not missing out on having that help!" Fowler finally tore his eyes from his computer screen, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This isn't about your comfort, Gavin, we need all the help we can get so that we can stop people from being killed! I'm not going to sacrifice the case for your sake!" Gavin's face was a bright red, and as he sucked in a deep breath you knew he was about to go off on Captain Fowler, most likely earning some sort of punishment that would earn another round of bitching and moaning from the salty detective. You placed a hand on his shoulder, and butt your head in before he could start to scream.

"I'm sorry, Captain. We'll work fine with Mr. Kamski, and I'll do my best to keep him and Gavin from slitting each others throats. Don't worry about it." Gavin shot you a glare, and you gave his shoulder a light pat in a silent 'your welcome for stopping you from getting fired'. 

"I'll try my hardest as well, Captain Fowler. I was irresponsible enough to let Detective Reed drag us in here in the first place." Nines was now on Gavin's other side, mirroring your actions and placing his own hand on Gavin's other shoulder. "We'll be on our way now, right Detective Reed?" Nines' words didn't leave room for protest. The shorter man let out a scoff, a noise of protest, and shook off your hands, spinning on his heel and storming from the office back towards his desk. You hurried after him, just in time to watch him grab Elijah by the back of the shirt, hauling him directly out of Gavin's chair. You heard Fowler's disapproving sigh, and hurried to stop the altercation before it escalated. 

"Gavin!" you scolded, pushing him lightly backwards and towards his chair, "Sit your ass down and stop being a dick." you turn to Kamski, offering your hand for him to take. "Nines, do you mind grabbing a chair for Mr. Kamski?" the android nodded his head, smiling gently as he hurried away to find a spare chair for your newest addition to the crime-solving dream team. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kamski, I'm sure you know that Gav can be difficult." Elijah let out a hearty laugh, and patted your hand before letting it go.

"I know all too well, (Y/N). And you can call me Elijah- we're business partners now, aren't we?" Nines returned with a rolling chair, offering it to Kamski who sat down with a thank-you smile. You turned to Gavin now, who was skulking at his desk with his head in his hand. "Lighten up, Gav." you give him a nudge with your elbow before moving to your desk, sitting down and catching Reed's eye from across the glass divider between the two of you. "You didn't finish your coffee, did you?" your tone is light but your words are almost mocking, and you wished you'd chosen them a little better. Gavin scoffs, tearing his gaze away and letting it fall onto his terminal instead. 

"I can get him a new coffee." Nines offered, leaning over slightly to grab your attention, "Would you like one, Detective (L/N)? What about you, Mr. Kamski?" Elijah nodded gratefully at Nines' offer.

"That would be delightful, RK900." he said, and Nines nodded his head, turning back to you for your answer.

"Sure thing, Nines. Thanks." the android scurries away as you log into your terminal, clicking on your latest file so you could finish filling it out. You had typed no more than three words when Elijah sparked up a conversation, seemingly bored already. You guessed he didn't consider how much waiting and writing this job took. It wasn't all deviant-fighting and crime scene investigation. 

"So you've started calling him Nines?" he asked you, even though you weren't the one with an answer to that question. You shot a glance at Gavin, who had seemed to miss the question completely. With a chuckle, you decided to answer as best as possible.

"Gavin chose it before I was transferred here, I think." 

"Ah, yes. That seems right- the name definitely reflects Gavvy's lack of creativity." It seems that Gavin was, in fact, listening, and you spotted the grown that grew on his face at the insult. With a small smile, you go to defend him.

"I think the name is nice. I wouldn't want to call him anything else." you continued to tap away at your keyboard, attempting to multitask as best as possible as Elijah continued asking you questions. It seems he was very curious to learn more about you and his brother. You assumed that they didn't speak to one another very often. 

"Since when did Gavin start referring to androids as 'he' and 'she'?" Elijah had asked this question before and not gotten an answer. A part of you had been waiting for him to ask this ever since you discovered that he was here. You shrug, not sure if it's your place to answer in Gavin's shoes. This was an important topic, and you didn't want to say the wrong thing. Much to your surprise, Gavin spoke up without meeting eye contact.

"I started callin' 'em 'he' and 'she' when I stopped being a total bitch." 

"So you're still not calling them 'he' and 'she'?" Elijah grinned at his joke, but Gavin wasn't impressed. As Elijah began to laugh, Gavin let out a heavy sigh and muttered a 'fuck you' under his breath. "I'm glad to see you and my baby brother are getting along alright. I didn't know anyone other than me and Tina could ever deal with him."

"He's a good guy, Mr. Kam- Elijah, he's not as much of an asshole as I was told he was. I'm glad I was partnered up with him." You smile in Gavin's direction, and he finally meets your gaze, mirroring the expression much more faintly- until Elijah let out a gasp and an 'awwwwww!' that forced Gavin's face to flush red. ]

"Gavvy, isn't that just so sweet? I didn't know you liked-" 

"I'm going to see what's taking the Tin Can so long." Gavin erupted from his seat, glaring daggers in Elijah's direction as the man wore the biggest shit-eating grin. Without another word, Gavin stormed away, head low and hands stuffed in his pockets. You let out a sigh, trying to keep your irritation to yourself as you turned back to your case file.

"You know, you don't have to stick around if you find the place boring." you point out, and Elijah nods his head. 

"I know, and I probably won't stay here for much longer. I just want to piss off Gavin a little bit more before I leave for the day." Elijah spun from side to side on his chair, leaning back in his seat and observing you as you worked with a true fascination. "Is this all you ever do? How often do you go out to crime scenes?"

"Whenever a crime scene needs to be investigated." you shrug, half-hoping Elijah would get up and leave, that he would stop distracting you and let you get some work done. You were saved by Nines as he returned with three coffee's balanced precariously between two hands, setting one down on your desk, one on Gavin's, and handing the third to Elijah. Gavin trailed over moments later, falling back into his seat. Elijah opened his mouth to speak yet again, but Nines was the one to cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kamski, but I have to ask you to allow my Detectives to work for a while. They have plenty to do and as much as they may enjoy the distraction, I'd like for them to progress this case." you fought back the smile that was crawling onto your face as Nines took the entire blame. You were sure that he knew both you and Gavin weren't too fond of Elijah, and that you both wanted him gone. You made a mental reminder to thank the android later. "If you'd like, I can escort you down to the archive room and show you all of the evidence we've collected thus far. Maybe you will be able to point out things we've missed?" Elijah smiled at the thought of having something to do, and rose from his chair.

"That sounds fine to me." he turned back to you and Gavin, "I'll see you two later." Nines, who was behind Elijah, looked at you and Gavin with a smile. As Elijah turned away, you finally smiled back, returning to your work as Nines led the way to the archives. With the faintest smile of his own, Gavin watched the two leave from the corner of his gaze. Once they were out of earshot, he mumbled,

"Finally, some fucking peace and quiet."


	19. Lazy Day

Saturday, October 31st, 12:02 am

Your Home

You let out a yawn, stretching your arms up and above your head until they hit the headboard. A warm comfort sat over your limbs, and a golden sunlight filtered in through your open window alongside a light breeze. It was Halloween, you knew that well, and you were more than grateful that you weren't one of the unlucky weekday-working officers who had been called in for the day. You let your eyes stay shut, your blankets warm and heavy, as the last traces of your slumber dripped from your form and a contentedness replaced it. At this rate you felt like you would never even bother getting out of bed, you were truly more relaxed than you had been in days. Today you planned on doing positively nothing, giving yourself a long needed break to spend the day by yourself, all alone, doing whatever you wanted without anyone else to bother you-

"Good morning, Detective." your eyes whip open, you bolt upright, and you let out a shriek. With a frantic glance around the room, your gaze lands on Nines and you force your nerves to settle. He looks rather amused by your sudden terror, his LED blinking blue and a small smile on his face. 

"Jesus Christ, Nines!" you gasp out, having completely forgotten that he had come home with you instead of Gavin the night before, since Elijah had invited himself over instead. 

"I didn't mean to startle you." Nines apologizes with a small nod, "But I made you breakfast and thought I'd come by to see if you were awake. I should have knocked." you let a hand rest on your forehead momentarily, your eyes falling shut again, before your racing heart returned to a regular enough pattern and you forced in a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh. The comfort of the Saturday morning returned, and you let a smile cross your features. 

"Thanks, Nines, it's okay. Just spooked me a little." you let out a chuckle, and register the tray balanced in Nines' hand with expertise and total balance. Atop is a plate of some sort of delicious looking pastry covered in sliced almonds and powdered sugar. You also see a mug of what you assumed to be coffee, and an assortment of fruit, the centerpiece being an apple carved, cut and arranged to resemble a swan. "Holy shit, you can cook!" You move to remove your blanket and stand, then realize you weren't wearing any form of pants. Your face goes red and you pull the blanket back, smiling awkwardly. "Uh- if you'll wait in the kitchen I'll be there in a minute." He nods his head and steps away, shutting the door and speaking through it,

"I was wondering if Detective Reed could stop by. He says, and I quote, 'I can't stand another moment in this house with that shitty-ass, egotistical, fuckwad of a man I call my brother'." you grin at the way Nines' voice shifted into a perfect replication of Gavin's voice. His impression was spot on. You also don't recall having ever heard Nines swear before, at least not so excessively.

"Yeah, that's fine!" you call back as you pull a pair of fuzzy pajama pants from your drawers, slipping into them easily and heading for the door. "When'll he be here?" grabbing the handle, you twist it and open your door as your question leaves your mouth. Nines replies from the kitchen.

"He would like to know if he can come over now?" arriving in the kitchen, you give Nines a nod in reply and slide into one of the bar stools centered around your kitchen island. You stare down at your food in awe, glancing it over in more detail now that you were up close. With how long you had slept in, there was no doubt plenty of time for Nines to create a masterpiece, and a masterpiece he created. In one of your mundane, single-colored mugs was a rich coffee that gave off the smell of pumpkin. With whipped cream, Nines had somehow created the shape of a ghost, much in the Halloween spirit. "I hope it's up to par. I've made you a Cinnamon Apple Bostock, a sweet and crunchy pastry dish with roots in Normandy, France."

"I didn't even know I had the stuff to make this!" you gawk, and Nines lets out a small chuckle, setting his arms down on your counter and leaning lightly against it. 

"I went out to purchase a few ingredients, with my own money, of course." gratitude soars through you, and your eyes lift to meet his. Your grin is bullet-proof, never faltering, and the warm aroma of the food in front of you touches your nose. Apple, almond, cinnamon- so many perfect flavors, all together. 

"You didn't have to do that, Nines." you pick up your fork and take your first bite, as amazed as ever with the perfection that is the dish placed in front of you. "I hope I didn't sleep for too long, this would have taken me forever to bake." you pluck an orange slice from your plate and take a bite. The almost-sourness of the fruit is the perfect contrast to the rich sweetness of the... Bostock? You think that's what it was called but you have trouble remembering. "How are you so good at this? Why do you know how to cook?" Nines was a police android, wasn't he? Why was cooking so important?

"I have access to the internet now," Nines taps at his LED in a matter-of-fact way, "And ever since deviants were legalized there are no longer restrictions on the things I can do and learn. Though I'm not a deviant myself, I still thought it would be helpful if I downloaded things like recipes or other skills that wouldn't necessarily be used in our field of work." That was true, you guessed- he could teach himself whatever he really wanted, and no one could do anything about it. You felt a sudden envy that he could just download a tutorial and become robot Gordon Ramsey. Nines turned to tidy up the last of the mess in the kitchen, setting his jacket aside and rolling up his sleeves to hand-wash the dishes that either didn't fit in the dishwasher or weren't dishwasher safe. You continued to devour your meal, and, just as you finished, you heard a knock on your front door. 

"I've got it!" you called, rather pleased to see Gavin. His company was something you were learning to value, and you considered him to be your best friend. "You unlock your front door, running a hand quickly through your tangled hair as you did so, and opened it up. Gavin was leaned nonchalantly on the wall to the right of your door frame, hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket. His gaze had been settled on the ground, but as you opened the door it traveled to meet yours. "Morning, Gav." you greet, taking a step back and motioning for him to come inside. His face was still purple, though the bruises were fading as the time passed. 

"Morning, (N/N)," he says back with a smile, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him, "Thanks for letting me come over. Elijah's fuckin' obnoxious." Gavin makes his way to the kitchen, glancing around once more at your home. You slide back into the chair you had been sitting in before. 

"It's no problem, I feel kinda bad for you. No offense, but I don't think I'd be able to share a house with him, even if it was just temporary." you scratch at the back of your neck awkwardly, but Gavin just grins and nods his head. 

"None taken, I absolutely agree." he grumbles, and takes a seat in the bar stool next to you. He notices Nines at last, just as the android grabs a dish towel from it's place tucked over the handle of your oven. "Look at that, your personal chef, eh?" he asks, resting his chin on his hand. Nines just sends a smile over his shoulder and begins to dry the dishes. 

"Good morning, Detective Reed." Nines says and sets a dried mixing bowl aside, "Are you hungry? There are leftovers from the breakfast I'd prepared for (Y/N)." with a moment of hesitation, Gavin shakes his head.

"As tempting as that is, I ate before I came here." he moves to take off his jacket, revealing a white tee underneath. You stare for a moment, not remembering the time you had ever seen him wear something so bright. Humiliation pulses through you as Gavin lets out a laugh, snapping his fingers in front of your face. "Eyes up here, (N/N)!" he teases, and your gaze snaps back upwards. 

"Sorry, I just don't- remember you ever wearing anything white before." you speak a little too quickly, and force your words to slow. You're certain your face is bright red, and Gavin is grinning like a fool. 

"Sure," he drawls, nudging you with his elbow in a playful manner, "I haven't done my laundry and Eli stole my last black shirt. The dumbass didn't bring his own clothes, and has one of his Chloe's bringing them tonight." Gavin's gaze returns to Nines as he puts the last dish away and unrolls his black sleeves. "You think I wear the same clothes too often?" he nodded in the androids direction, who, in return, stopped in his tracks and tilted his head at the both of you. 

"I'm sorry?" he asked, confused by the attention that was directed at him. "I didn't happen to hear your topic of conversation. Is there something I can do for you?" 

"Yeah, actually." Gavin shot you a glance, "Answer this- why do you wear that stupid Cyberlife jacket? You don't need to, not anymore." you nod your head in a show that you were just as curious. After the revolution, most androids stopped wearing their uniforms. Nines was one of the few who still hadn't purchased a new wardrobe. 

"You say you've got money, so why haven't you bought any new clothes?" you lean back in your chair, crossing your arms and quirking an eyebrow in question. Nines hesitates, his expression morphing into a questioning one. 

"Well, I simply haven't gotten around to it. I've never needed new clothes, since I take care of these ones." Gavin lets out a scoff and shakes his head.

"That won't do, Tin Can. If you don't have any plans today, (Y/N), I say we go get him some new threads. How about it?" you smile, and nod your head, turning to Nines for his confirmation. He seems hesitant, his LED glowing yellow, and he waits a moment before he speaks with uncertainty.

"I'm not sure, Detective Reed. I don't know what clothing I would even purchase. I don't think that the current 'trends' are necessarily my style, but at the same time I don't want to buy anything displeasing to the human eye." you wave a hand dismissively, and hop out of your chair.

"Oh shush, Nines. You don't have to care about trends and stuff, you can buy whatever you want."

"Yeah- and if anything is really too bad, you know I'll insult you for it." Gavin says with a shrug and a grin. Nines smiles, a small one at that, but his LED returns to blue.

"I'm gonna shower, and we can leave in... 30 minutes?" you offer with a smile, and both men nod their heads, leaving you to speed off, them now sitting alone in the kitchen. A few moments passed in silence, the sound of the shower turning on being the first thing to break it. 

"Can I ask you a personal question, Detective?" Nines asked, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves as if he were self-conscious. Gavin glances at him, a sprout of worry in the pit of his stomach, and nodded his head with a ''course'. "Do... do you notice anything... off with me lately?" Nines frowns, his LED an alarming yellow. "Different? Worrisome?" Gavin sits up, resting his crossed arms on the counter. He opens his mouth to speak, an instant denial or some snide comment about him being fine, when he hesitates. He... did notice something... off, lately, though he couldn't quite place it. 

"When you shot that deviant all those days ago, and when you aimed your gun at Elijah." Nines nodded his head at Gavin's words, the human Detective patting the seat you had been sitting in. Nervously, Nines sat in it, staring down at his hands. His LED was still a solid yellow, his face set in a frown with furrowed brows. He was afraid, Gavin would guess, though he was never good with emotions. "What happened? Why did you act like that? You're always so calm, Tin Can." Gavin swiveled in his chair to face Nines, leaning subtly forwards. He was worried for the android, but was reluctant to show it. He wasn't supposed to be caring about this piece of plastic, was he?

"I'm not sure, Gavin." the use of his first name sounded freakishly foreign, and he knew that Nines was seriously concerned. "I was overcome by these... irrational instructions. It was almost like what I think deviancy means, but I'm not sure." Nines finally lifted his gaze to look at Gavin, feeling even more unsettled by the fear in his grey eyes. "I felt that shooting that deviant was the only choice I had. And when I had my gun trained on Kamski, I had to fight so hard to pull the gun away."

"I..." Gavin trailed off, and had to tear his gaze away. The intensity in every feature of Nines' face was frightening. This didn't sound like deviancy, it sounded like Nines was being told what to do by some odd, unknown force. 

"What if I can't stop myself from hurting you or (Y/N)?" his voice was so small. Gavin forced himself to look at Nines again, for his sake. Gavin's eyes bore into Nines', and he said in the strongest, firmest voice he could muster-

"That won't happen, Tin." the android shook his head. He looked absolutely troubled, and Gavin didn't doubt that he was close to deviancy in one way or another. These emotions he was feeling weren't ones that a normal android would feel. Gavin didn't know how intense the software instability currently was, but he knew it was growing with every passing day. 

"How can we be sure? What if it does happen, and I point my gun at one of you? What if this time I can't pull the gun away before I pull the trigger?" 

"Hey," Gavin demanded Nines' attention once more, his blue irises swirling with despair, "I trust you, Nines. You won't hurt us. I know you won't." 

"But what if I do? Maybe... Maybe I should just... go back to Cyberlife before it's too late. I should go get myself destroyed before I hurt-" 

"What?" Gavin hissed, and gripped tightly to the collar of Nines' collared shirt. "No, Nines! Absolutely not, you're not getting yourself killed over this!" not letting go, Gavin leaned in close, rage dripping from his words. "You can't do that, me and (Y/N) need you!" Nines shoved Gavin away, rocketing to his feet. His LED was red now, and he rapidly straightened out the collar of his shirt. Gavin and him were both standing now, one scowling, the other still terrified at who they might hurt. "You're not going back to Cyberlife, Nines. We'll figure this out."

"You... do you promise? You promise that I'll get better?" forcing his expression to soften, Gavin nodded his head, and took a few steps forwards before doing the one thing no one would ever expect him to do. He pulled Nines forwards and into a comforting hug. 

"I promise, Tin Can. We won't let you hurt anyone as long as you don't leave us."

"O-Okay... Okay, Gavin. I trust you."

"Woah, what'd I miss here?" both Gavin and Nines shoved away from one another at the sound of your voice, whipping to face you. You were grinning, all dressed up and ready for the day. "Some heart to heart I wasn't here for?"

"Nothin', (N/N)." Gavin raced to say before Nines could spill his worries to you. With a side-glare from the human detective, Nines got the message and kept his mouth shut. "Nothin' at all. You ready to go?" a quick topic change was all it took, and you let the situation shift to a much more nonchalant one.

"Yep. My car?" you snatch your keys from the countertop and twirl them around on your index finger by the key ring. The three of you left the house, and, in turn, left the conversation. Nines and Gavin were both acting perfectly normal for the duration of the day, and soon the thought of the odd exchange drifted from all of your minds entirely. To you, nothing was the matter.


	20. Closer and Closer to Home

Saturday, October 31st, 8:28 pm

Belle-Isle Lounge

You'd always loved this place. This bar was rather fancy, in the richest part of town with a rooftop patio and a perfect view of the Cyberlife tower. It was where you had gone for your very first legal drinks once you had become old enough, so it held a dear place in your heart and will forever. That's the main reason why the sight before you now was so heartbreaking. The usual dark and regal black and navy aesthetic of the building was ruined by the bright yellow of the holographic police tape, and seeing the building bathed in red and blue lights felt almost surreal. 

"This is definitely the place." Gavin grumbled, running a quick hand through his hair before pushing open the door and stepping out of your car. You followed soon after, Nines doing the same, now wearing a brand new shirt that you'd helped pick out for him. It was another turtleneck button up with a bit more of a fun pattern. Rather than the simple black, it was pale blue that matched his LED, with white buttons. He had also chosen to leave his Cyberlife jacket in your car for the duration of the investigation, making him appear more human than ever before. Taking the lead, you made your way towards the front door, offering a smile to the PC200 stood there to keep anyone but detectives away. With one single step inside, your heart dropped at the sight of your new partner, and you waited for Gavin to spot him too, inevitably starting some sort of fight. Much, much to your surprise, all that left the detective was a sigh and a glare, before he walked right past Elijah without batting an eye.

"Detectives! You're here at last!" he clasped his hands, a grin widening itself on his face, as he moved to join the three of you in your walk towards Tina Chen, who you were now considering a friend. "I was starting to get impatient." You can see the way Gavin's shoulders tense at his brothers words, and you can almost read his mind, You don't get to get impatient, Eli. You're not the detective here. 

"Tina!" Gavin called instead, annoyance more than evident in his voice, "What's the situation?" with each of those three words that tension eases, and is replaced by the impeccable skill and concentration of the Talented Detective Reed. 

"Hey, Gavin," Officer Chen greets, and smiles at you and Nines in turn, "Detectives," she gives you a nod, "This way." spinning on her heel, she begins to lead the way as she offers a quick briefing. "The suspect hasn't been identified yet, Nines'll be the first android on the scene other than the murderer. This man was strangled by the looks of it, but not without putting up a fight." Tina pushed open a back door of the lounge, stepping back outside. Almost immediately you noticed the crime scene, one or two other officers and a few forensics experts milling about. A man was slumped against the wall, a dark bruising around his neck. The same purple spots littered his face, and a dark blue hand print had been imprinted on his arm. In one of his hands was a switch blade coated in a generous layer of blue blood, and a deep laceration wound dripped human blood on that arm. "We've done a quick scan of the area for the android that seemed to have attacked him, but we've found nothing. Hopefully you three can work your magic." 

"Leave it to us." you smile, and turn to Nines', who was already kneeling beside the corpse. You and Gavin both did the same at his side, scanning over the mess of a man with your human eyes and lack of processor. 

"The man is Jessie Dennis, age 37." Nines began, and then quickly added, "Another police officer." Oh, you knew. You knew this man the moment Nines had reminded you of his name.

"Shit..." you hiss out, "He was one of the officers in my old precinct. A good man. He had a three year old daughter." a moment of silence passes over the three of you out of sheer respect, and then, swallowing the lump of grief forming your throat at the thought of everything, you ask,

"Can you test the blue blood?" your hand directs towards the blue-bloodied knife. Nines nods, reaching over the mans body to graze his fingers across the thirium-slick surface of the blade.

"Great." Gavin grimaces, but his eyes are glued to Nines as he inserts the two fingers into his mouth to sample the evidence. His android-brows furrow and his LED shines a warm yellow before he turns to you. By the look on his face you knew exactly what was about to be said, and your suspicions were confirmed seconds later. 

"A TG700F, yet another TG model." Elijah was suddenly kneeling at your side as if he had the qualifications to be meddling with the evidence. He placed a hand on his chin, staring from Nines, to Gavin, to you with a certain intensity. 

"These TG models sure are troublesome." he says simply, and just those six words piss Gavin off.

"No shit, Sherlock. Are you even allowed to be on the scene?" Gavin glares, and Elijah simply shrugs. The topic is brushed off and Gavin climbs back to his feet to round the dead body. "He looks pretty beaten up. Can you reconstruct anything Tin?" Gavin stands once more, glancing around the rest of the scene. 

"No, not yet. I need more evidence before my reconstructions can be entirely accurate." without having to be told, you set off to discover more evidence. A small pool of blue blood was spattered a few feet away, along with a smoldering cigarette butt a little further. The remains of the cigarette lie just out of range to have been tossed nonchalantly. You took a rather wild guess and assumed that maybe the cigarette had fallen from Jessie's lip during a scuffle, if this was Jessie's cigarette at all. 

"Hey Nines, can you confirm this was the victim's?" you call, and the android drops beside you, LED spinning yellow as he goes through the rapid works of a scan. 

"Yes, traces of saliva are left on the tip." Nines nods, and turns to you as if silently motioning for you to explain what you believed happened. You knew he already guessed the same thing as you, and smiled at the gesture of him letting you verbalize the evidence. 

"I think he dropped it, maybe after being attacked. As if he didn't have time to drop it until the combat was engaged." your android partner nods his head, and stands again before rushing off at Gavin's call, leaving you to continue your investigation, solo for now. A quick glance around reveals nothing else of interest- a slower glance around, however, draws your gaze to a pop of white on the dark brick wall of the Belle-Isle Lounge. With a tilt to your head, you approach the odd coloring, returning to your knees and lifting a hand to gently trace the symbol you now spotted. It was painted onto the wall with some sort of marker, and the shape itself was rather odd. You recognized a striking similarity with the symbol that had once represented Jericho during the android revolution- the form was close to that of a peace sign, but the difference between this one and the original form of freedom were the two extra lines crossing diagonally on either side, like a big 'X' over the whole of it. 

"What's this?" Gavin's voice interrupts your thoughts, and you glance up at him. His thumbs are hooked in the pockets of his jeans, and he leans slightly to get closer to the symbol without sitting down. 

"I'm not sure. Looks like the Jericho symbol, though." the mention of Jericho seems to catch Nines' attention, and now the six-foot-something android is towering over both you and Gavin with his blue eyes trained on the symbol and his LED it's regular analytical color. The androids brows furrow, and Gavin furrows his own eyebrows in return.

"What's up, Plastic? D'you recognize it or something?" Gavin stands back to his full height, and you rise from your place on the ground, leaning against the wall. Spacing out, Gavin has to snap his fingers in front of Nines' face to bring him back from the depths of his robotic mind. 

"Oh- yes- I mean... no, no I don't recognize it." you're not stupid, and absolutely catch the way his LED flashes briefly red. You exchange a glance with Gavin that seems to say a hundred different things. 

What's up with him?

What's he hiding?

Do we pressure him?

Should we leave him be?

Neither of you pursue the question any further, saved from making the decision by Elijah breaking into the small huddle you had formed. 

"I think I may have found something of interest." he says with his hands clasped in front of him, a smug smile on his face. "This-a-way, please." with no other option, the three of you trail after him like ducklings, until he stops in front of a much smaller collection of thirium in the oddly familiar shape of a footprint. "Look," he motions, and waves an arm in the direction of a few more blue prints on the ground, only of the left foot. 

"The androids leg must be wounded." Gavin points out, and you nod your agreement. You're given the lead, one hand hovering ever-so-closer to your gun on pure instinct. After your recent encounters, no one could possibly blame you for being a little bit jumpy. The singular footprint leads you on and on, away from the mouth of the alley and across a deserted street into yet another alleyway. This time, the trail veers sharply to the right,and disappears underneath a dumpster. For a moment you're confused until you spot the slightest hint of a disturbance behind the garbage can, and glance at Gavin in a plea for help. With a nod, he's at your side, and as one unit you force the dumpster away. It rolls with not too much effort, and you reveal a low hole in the wall where the bricks had been removed. 

"Well, look at that." Elijah mumbles, and you hear a low whistle that you almost thought had belonged to Gavin. It sounded just like his, though it had been Elijah who'd made the sound in the first place. Striking similarities, you guessed, and brushed the distracted thoughts away. 

"In we go?" you ask, earning nods from all of your companions. 

"Let me go first." Nines offers, and you don't complain, but Gavin does.

"No, I'll go." for a moment the two stare at each other, having an entire conversation that you didn't understand, but then the android let his head fall and gave a nod that looked almost dejected. Unholstering his gun, Gavin knelt and slid through the hole. It ended just above your hip, so it wasn't too tight of a squeeze, and you followed through with ease, Nines on your tail. "Stay out there, Eli. This is dangerous now." Gavin warned, but his older brother just rolled his eyes and followed after despite Gavin's words. "Fine, just- keep your damn trap shut, okay?"

"Okay." for once Elijah obliged as he took in his surroundings in the same way that you were. It was nearly pitch dark the only light coming in from the uncovered hole you had just crept through, but the illumination from the moon was almost nonexistent. A flashlight clicked on, held tightly in Gavin's hand. You didn't even notice he'd brought it, and you wished you'd thought to bring your own.

"Stick close and stay sharp." you hiss out, and watch as Nines' LED comes a little bit closer to you and Gavin. You guess Elijah is closer too, and can sense the shared tension webbing between you all. One slow step at a time, your eyes follow the flashlight beam, taking in every little detail and looking for the tiniest flicker of movement or glimmer of blood, either human or android.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Detectives. Perhaps we should turn back and await reinforcement." through your fraying nerves you missed the way Nines' voice wavered with some odd mixture of emotions, and instead focused on Gavin's response.

"No, we'll be fine. Four versus one? Easy." that was possibly true, but seeing how you held up against that TG200 the other day, you couldn't be too sure. You pull your gun from it's place on your hip, straining your ears and eyes for any sound or sight. Instead of blue, Nines' LED was now yellow, and for a split second it was even red. All at once, without a moments warning, the chaos exploded around you. Nines' gasped, and it seems that his red LED was a clear sign that he had detected danger. Before you knew it, you were being tackled to the ground and a gunshot echoed throughout the building all around you. 

"A deviant! To our right!" Nines warned, and it seems he had been the one to tackle you- and Gavin, in fact- to the ground. Gavin had miraculously held tight to his flashlight, and threw the beam around haphazardly to spot the threat. You caught sight of a flicker of pink, and the beam steadied on your target. It was an android, that statement cleared up by the beet-red LED on the side of their head. It was a female, her hair split-dyed black on the right and pink on the left, with yellow eyes that glowed unnaturally in the darkness. How you hadn't spotted those glowing eyes before, you weren't sure, and frankly you didn't care as you spotted the gun held in an android hand void of skin and covered in red and blue blood. You acted fast as the gun was pointed in your direction, throwing yourself to the side in the nick of time. With help form a push from Nines, the bullet embedded itself in the concrete directly next to your skull.

"Nines, call in backup!" Gavin demanded, and leaped to his feet. You did exactly the same, gun gripped in your hand, and bolted into action in time with your human partner. He swung an arm back and launched his flashlight forwards with a powerful force, colliding with the androids head and sending her toppling to the side. She didn't fall, recovering in a few moments, though those few moments were enough for you to get in a little closer. You swung out your trust gun, using it in the most efficient and non-lethal way you knew how, letting the grip connect with the side of her head, whipping it the other way. She let out a cry, finally falling to the ground, but before you could restrain her the gun in her hand was on it's way towards you again. "(Y/N), move!" Gavin barked as he sent himself flying forwards, a foot lifting and slamming down on the deviants arm. She still held tight to her weapon but the bullet missed you, whizzing past your leg and clinking against metal somewhere in the room. 

"Careful, Gav!" you shout, his figure and the deviants silhouetted by the flashlight as they locked in a tussle. "Elijah, go get officers!" you shout, and turn, expecting Nines to be racing into battle. Instead, he's standing still, like a deer in headlights. Hid LED is red, and he looks distraught, but he doesn't move an inch. "Nines, come on!" you call to him but he doesn't answer. You don't have time for this right now. Turning back to the perp, you take Nines' place as the savior and race to Gavin's aid, catching one of the deviants flailing arms and tugging her backwards and away just before she could land a punch to Gavin's stomach. Reed's knuckles were bleeding from the punches he'd thrown, but he didn't seem to have taken a single one in return. Finally, Nines was moving, pulling a set of handcuffs from his belt and handing them to you. You throw him a quick glance, both worried and angry, and begin to list out the familiar Miranda Rights as you restrain the deviant. 

"Jesus," Gavin grumbles, out of breath, as he picks up his flashlight. It's no more than three seconds later that Elijah is returning, framed by more flashlights belonging to Tina and some other officers who worked alongside her. 

"Is everyone okay?" she asks, and as you haul the deviant to her feet, trying to counter her struggling and kicking, Gavin answers with a nod. "Good." Tina places her gun, which had been drawn moments earlier, back on her hip, and takes another step towards you. "I can deal with her. Make sure none of you are hurt, okay?" you let Tina take the android, glad to be rid of the struggling thing, and turn to Gavin. You race to his side, catching his hands in yours and bringing them closer to your face to examine the damage. 

"Shit, Gav, is this all? She didn't land any hits did she?" you say with a frown and a worried expression, but Gavin only lets out a chuckle. Much to your surprise, he's actually smiling.

"I must be rubbin' off on you, huh? You're swearing lots lately." He pulls his hand away, shifting his gaze away for a moment before it returns to yours. "I'm okay, that deviant was nothing. What about you? None of those shots hit?" now it was his turn to be concerned, a frown growing on his face, but you shake your head.

"I'm good too."

"So am I." Elijah adds in, though that's all he says. You half expected him to say more, something snide or smug or something like that, but he doesn't. He seems to sense what topic is going to be brought up next as both you and Gavin turn to face Nines. The android had been looking at you and Gavin, but the moment the two of you turned to face him, his gaze shifted away. 

"Nines, what happened?" you start, taking a step closer to him. His LED goes red as you reach an arm out to rest on his, and he flinches away. "Why were you... frozen like that?"

"Shit, Tin Can, did it... did it?" what Gavin said was cryptic, and you looked over at him with that same frown you had been wearing ever since you had spoken. What did that mean? Nines glanced at Gavin and didn't need to do anything. Letting out a sigh, Gavin shook his head, and turned to you. "Let's go, guys. Let's go." you decided that it would be smart not to press on the topic. You had to trust that your partners wouldn't hide something from you if it was really important. You had to trust that you would learn about whatever was going on soon enough. As hard as that was, you forced yourself to do it- after all, you now had a deviant to investigate.


	21. A Deviant Thing?

Saturday, October 31st, 9:58 pm

Central Police Station

The car ride had been so painfully silent. You kept your eyes trained on the road, desperately forcing your mouth to stay shut. Nines was as stiff as a board in the back seat, his hands resting on his knees and his LED a never-ending yellow of distress. Gavin had his arms crossed, and seemed to be the most calm one out of the three of you. However, a leg bobbed up and down anxiously, contradicting his calm demeanor. Not a single word was said at all, until you had pulled up to the police station and arrived inside. You all went straight for the bullpen, Gavin breaking off and making a beeline for the break room in search of coffee, while Nines went in the direction of the storage room in search of a first aid kit. You went for your desk, tossing your keys and cell phone on the desktop and collapsing into your chair with a huff. Anxiety gnawed at your insides like a rabid animal, along with a certain self-loathing you recognized as fear that you weren't good enough for your partners. Maybe that's why they were keeping secrets. Your hands covered your face, leaning your head back and sucking in a deep, tired breath. As you let out that breath in a heavy sigh, your hands fell to your sides and your eyes refocused. 

"Here." the first words you'd heard him say were simple, and familiar to you now as a coffee was set down in front of you by Gavin himself. He slid into his own chair, sipping at his own cup and avoiding eye contact. You didn't try to force him to look at you. You had to trust him, you told yourself, and you knew you could, but the impatience and curiosity was powerful. Nines was back now, setting down a grey burlap bag with a red cross printed on the front. 

"Show me your hands, Detective Reed." Nines ordered, and you guessed that he was forcing the firmness into his voice. Gavin didn't protest, setting down his coffee, and spun in his chair to hold his hands palm-down out at Nines. You watched as the android unzipped the bag and pulled out a roll of bandages and an antiseptic wipe. "You aren't injured, are you Detective (L/N)?" Nines' tilted his head momentarily to you, but pulled away again before you could read the expression on his face. With growing frustration, you shake your head. 

"No, just some soreness." yet again, all of you are quiet while Nines works. His movements are not as swift as usual- he seems distant, tired. Gavin and him keep looking at each other, and whenever their eyes meet Nines' LED goes yellow. You open your mouth to speak, almost calling them out on their behavior, and then you shut it again and tear your gaze away. Trust them, (Y/N). Trust them. 

"Detectives?" you hear Nines' voice, but when you look up at him you realize it wasn't him who spoke- you turn your head to his predecessor, who was strolling up to the three of you casually. "I'm glad to see you three are alright. I was told what had happened by officer Chen; the deviant android is currently in one of the holding cells awaiting interrogation." Connor offers a polite nod, and says, "I thought I should let you know," before turning away again with a last smile. 

"Nice." you sigh, trying to shake off the feelings clinging to the back of your mind. There were too many of them to successfully do so. "Let's get interrogating." you stand from your seat, for once not bothering to push in your chair and strolling towards the holding cells without waiting for your partners. You knew the precinct perfectly now, and as you passed the break room and took a left behind Fowler's office, you realized just how busy Central Station currently was. One holding cell was packed full, six people inside, all avoiding one another as best as possible. You guessed that they had all been arrested for minor crimes like public intoxication or maybe minor assault, or else they wouldn't have been put in one cell. Two of the six people were androids, sat a few feet apart from one another and as far as possible from the humans. Neither of those androids were the one you had detained. You continued on to the next holding cell, and there she was, standing perfectly still in the dead center of the cell with her eyes boring through the glass. The moment you stepped into view, her eyes connected with yours and her LED burned red. 

"Careful," an man you knew to be Officer Wilson stated from his place a few feet away, standing watch over the holding cells, "She's violent. Almost knocked out my teeth when me and Chen were trying to get her in there." you nod your head at him, and spot Gavin and Nines out of the corner of your eye as they approached. You lifted a hand, letting it rest on the cells scanner, before the door slid open and you stepped inside. You were more than fine with being the one to guide the TG700 to the interrogation room, but Gavin pushed ahead of you and wrapped a steady hand around the androids upper arm, beginning to shove her in the direction of the door. She complied, and Gavin didn't even look at you to offer any sort of apology for butting ahead. You let out a huff, fighting off the urge to let a scowl settle over your face, and followed despite your rising frustration. Down the halls you went, scanning your hand outside of the Interrogation room door, and helping Gavin to uncuff the deviants hands before cuffing them again to the tabletop without saying a word to one another. Then, the two of you met Nines in the hidden room, beginning to discuss how you would go about this interrogation. 

"Who's going in?" you ask, letting your hands rest on the tabletop underneath the interrogation room window. Nines was tapping at the glass, bringing up information about the deviant, the other TG models, and the case itself. He also set a file you hadn't seen him grab onto the table, sliding it closer to you and Gavin. 

"I'd like to sit this one out." he says simply, training his eyes on the screen despite the odd gaze you gave him. Opening your mouth to ask why, Gavin rushed to speak before you could. 

"That's fine, Tin Can. Why don't you do this one, (Y/N)?" Gavin asks, turning to you. He taps his fingers on the table, urging you to accept, but you caught hold of a passing thought- he was trying to get rid of you for a while. Whether it was because they were annoyed by you or because they wanted to talk without you there, you weren't certain. Maybe it would be smart to ask them to fess up, though now wasn't the time for confrontation. With a sigh and a subtle shake of your head, you grabbed the file and turned to the exit door. A quick scan of your hand once more brings you into the interrogation room, where the deviant is sat with a red LED. 

"If you want information you're not going to get any from me." Right off the bat, this is the most up-front and talkative deviant you had ever spoken to. Even before your transfer, the very few deviants you brought in were always stone-cold silent, stoic as a rock. "I'm not telling you shit." the android leaned back in her chair, arms extended to rest awkwardly on the table they were cuffed to. Breezing past her comment, you set down your file and take a seat, scooting in your chair and pulling open the manila folder. 

"Happy Halloween." you say sarcastically, and clear your throat to in attempts to do the same to your head. Gavin and Nines weren't a problem you could think about now. You had a perp to interrogate. "My name is (Y/N) (L/N), but I'm sure you could get that from a scan. I'm a detective here. You probably remember me." you take in the information presented to you from the folder, scanning the images of the crime scene and the police notes that had been scribbled down. At last, you lean back in your chair and look up at the deviant. Her LED was blue now, and her expression was calm. You glanced over her quickly- the sclera of both of her eyes were black, with glowing orange pupils. Her skin was a dark tan, and she had a piercing on her upper lip, along with many littering her ears. Her hair ran down past her shoulders and looked perfectly neat, half of it black, the other a bright pink. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt, her hands missing their human skin and leaving the android plastic exposed. "What's your name?" you ask, tilting your head. She scoffs, and rolls her eyes.

"What's it to you?" the android sneers, a glare settling over her face. You grimace. Just seeing her now you know she'll be a tough deviant to crack. 

\-----

Gavin watches you enter the interrogation room, starting off the session with an ironic introduction of a 'Happy Halloween'. He doesn't listen for a moment longer, turning to Nines. 

"She knows, Nines." he says simply, and the android turns to him with a frown. "She knows something is up. We owe it to her to tell her." Almost immediately, Nines' blue LED skips straight past yellow and into a red. 

"No! I can't- I don't want to tell her." he shakes his head, "It took plenty enough willpower to tell you, but I don't want her to know." Gavin furrows his brows, pulling his feet from where he had propped them up on the desk in the room to stare straight at Nines. 

"Why? She's our partner too, Tin Can, we can trust her, can't we?" Gavin is frowning too now, his leg proceeding it's anxious bounce as he clasps his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. "It's not fair to keep this secret. What if she thinks something is wrong?"

"Something is wrong, Gavin." mirroring Gavin's position, Nines grows substantially less polished- this is the main sign that Gavin has picked up from his robot partner. Nines was dead serious about every word he was about to say. "My software is unstable and I don't know why, or how- I can't control it sometimes!"

\-----

"What harm is a name gonna do? It'll just make it easier for the both of us." you fold your arms, resting them on the table and tilting your head. You were going to attempt to adopt a friendly mannerism, and if that didn't work you'd go in for a much more threatening one. Hopefully the sudden switch will coax the deviant into speaking. This was a tactic she'd used on humans before, and it often did the trick. The deviant still doesn't speak. "Look-" you almost added a 'Tin Can' to the end of that sentence without even thinking. For some reason, the nickname seemed to have auto-filled in the absence of a name in your brain. "Look, kid." you said instead, seeing as the android was a teenager model, "I don't want to hurt you. If you don't tell me anything you'll-"

"Be destroyed, yada yada. I know the drill." the deviant gave a shrug, and tilted her head to rest in the opposite direction as yours. 

"You're injured, aren't you? Is it anything serious?" you remember the blue-blood footprints that had led you right to this androids hiding place back at the crime scene. The deviants android's LED goes yellow for a second.

"That asshole put up one hell of a fight." she says, most obviously referring to the officer she had killed, Jessie Dennis. "Felt good to finally see the life drain from his eyes after he fucked up my leg."

"I can't imagine that wound means anything good if it hasn't healed over yet." a look flashes across the deviants face, and you know immediately that the wound is indeed more serious than you'd thought. If it was still open and bleeding at this point, then that means that a major biocomponent or synthetic vein was lacerated. Those don't always heal over again. "You know, we've got some thirium 310 in the back room. I could get you some if you give me some information."

\-----

"So? Shouldn't she know in case something happens?" nervousness flutters like a bird trapped in Gavin's rib cage, his heart thudding in pace with his stuttering leg. He runs a hand through his hair, before it returns to the other as he begins to wring them fearfully. Nines hesitates, his mouth hung open as he searches for something to say. 

"I d-don't want to frighten her!" he stutters out at last, and Gavin shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and barking out a,

"Bullshit! You know that wouldn't scare her. What's really holding you back from telling her, Nines?" Nines mutters a curse under his breath. Damn you, Reed, and your impeccable skill to read anyone like an open book. 

"I..." Nines was reluctant to speak, and found himself forcing out the following words. He'd never admitted this out loud before, and was even still denying it in his own head. "I don't want her to send me back to Cyberlife, okay? I don't want to be shut down!" he shouldn't be afraid of that, should he? He shouldn't be afraid to die- no, no, to deactivate. Humans died, and he wasn't human. He was a machine who didn't have to deal with things like emotions.

\-----

For a brief moment the android seemed as if she would give in, her face softening- and then it hardened up again and she shook her head. 

"I'm not afraid to shut down if it means my companions get to live." her LED was a spinning yellow that betrayed her words and told you the exact opposite. "I'm not telling you a single thing."

"Are you sure? You don't want to die, do you?" you force a sorrowful expression onto your face, and continue with sympathy in your voice, "I know I wouldn't want to die... I'd do anything to stay alive if the option was given." you redirected your gaze to your file, letting your words sink in. The deviant is still silent. "You really won't tell me your name? I just want to know what to call you while we talk here today." the deviant lets out a sigh.

"My name is Maria." she says at last, almost sounding defeated. You look up at her with a smile and nod your head.

"Maria." you try out her name, and nod your head as if you like it, when in reality you were just happy that sh'e finally told you something, even if it was nothing more than a name. "Sadly, I'll need a little more than that to get you some thirium. My boss is a bit of a hard-ass." you prayed that Fowler didn't, for some reason, overlook the interrogation footage.

\-----

Gavin was never good at comforting, but he extends a hand and pats Nines' shoulder. 

"You won't be shut down, Nines. She'd never do that." the human detective says, "I wouldn't let her send you back there either." Gavin wanted to tell you what was happening with the android of the group. Nines was acting stranger in every encounter, and though he hated to admit it, he was nervous that something similar to the Elijah incident would happen again. Nines was just as afraid. He would never be able to live with himself if he hurt someone, let alone you or Gavin. "I promise, Tin Can. I'd make sure you never went back to Cyberlife-"

"I recognized that sign at the crime scene. The one that looked like Jericho's old symbol." Nines blurted out with a red LED. He clasped his hands together, a look of deep trouble in his icy eyes. "I recognized it the moment I saw it."

"Where from?" Gavin coaxed, trying to keep his voice soft and reassuring. "Where do you know it form, Nines?" 

"It... It replaced the name of who- or what- had given me the irrational orders." his voice almost inaudible, Nines redirected his gaze towards the floor. "When I shot that damaged android, and when I pointed my gun at Kamski. I thought it was a name, but now..."

\-----

You lean to the left to catch a glance of Maria's damaged leg, sucking in air through your teeth at the sight of the damage. The knee of her jeans was torn, and the entire joint component was missing, many of the artificial veins and ligaments torn. 

"That's bad. If I had to guess, it's possibly lethal." you stood from your seat, "I'd say... no more than 45 minutes? You're lucky your leg even works after a wound like that. You round the table slowly, and Maria's LED is stuck as a vibrant red. She knows that you have the upper hand here. She knows that you know she's terrified to shut down. She knows that she can't keep her mouth shut for long as you're offering her life itself. "A location would make Captain Fowler hand over a whole fountain of thirium, and maybe even a whole new joint!" you smile brightly, and place your hands on your hips. Your smile fades, and is replaced by a thoughtful expression. "Or... hm..." you tap your foot, deep in false thought. Truth be told, you knew exactly what to say to get through to Maria. "Maybe I could sneak you just enough thirium to heal that up if you told me... let's say... how many of you there are? And I can get someone to patch up those veins if you tell me why you killed that cop." Maria opened her mouth to speak, and then clamped it shut again. "Come on, Maria. I don't want you to die. I can help you if you trust me!" you take a seat once more. "It's okay. I can stop you from shutting down."

"Fine! Fine, I'll tell you!" Maria blurts out, her LED blinking now. "I'll tell you, okay? If you fix my leg and stop me from dying, I'll tell you." you fight back the urge to grin victoriously, and nod your head. 

"Okay. I'll get you fixed up as soon as you tell me." 

\-----

"Now, I recognize the link between that symbol and our case. That sign is... it's the logo of these deviants. It's the symbol of Jericho's Salvation." Gavin's heart drops. What...? Thoughts race through his head too fast for him to grasp onto one, so he stays silent and allows Nines to continue to speak. "I don't know why that symbol is showing up in my software, but I know it can't mean anything good." 

"Is it... a deviant thing? What if it just means you're turning deviant?" Gavin knows Nine doesn't want to be deviant. He knows the android is afraid of the entire aspect of being a human, but now Reed was praying that that was the case. Anything else could be... much, much more serious. Nines shakes his head. 

"No, I don't... I don't think it's a deviant thing."


	22. Too Close.

Monday, November 9th, 9:12 am

Central Police Station

Over a week had passed. From your interrogation with the TG700, you had learned that this deviant issue was just as serious as you'd been worrying. You were told that there were at least 30 deviants hidden away somewhere she refused to say, the whole organisation run by the other TG models you had encountered or discovered through blue blood traces. As for the other question you'd asked regarding the reasoning for the murder of Officer Jessie Dennis, she had simply said 'eyes needed to be opened'. She had her leg repaired and she was hauled back to the holding cell until her processing was done. In the nine days since then, there had been one other murder in your district, consisting of a detective from your old station that you had been partners with for a few months in the very beginning of your career. It had been alarming, especially when you didn't find the TG900 who you'd identified through blue blood. As of now, you were sitting at your desk with your regular morning coffee, Gavin and Nines chattering about the case.

The two seem to have grown closer together ever since you found out they were hiding something. From time to time Gavin would call you out, saying he needed to speak to you, only to come out with a 'never mind' as soon as Nines sent him a glare. You had completely given up on trying to get them to talk to you about whatever they were reluctant to say. The morning was as slow as ever as you tapped away at your terminal. For the first three days after the Halloween weekend, you'd gone through your evidence over and over and over again in search of a lead. You didn't find one. The two days after that, a Thursday and Friday, were spent going through files for leads. Yet again, you found nothing new, so you were officially at a dead end until another case came in. You had offered to help Hank and Connor fill in their reports for the few red ice related cases they currently had, taking that over nothing since you knew the moment you weren't working Elijah would come over and prod at you for stories about your time with Gavin. Much to your relief, Nines had finally put his foot down, telling Kamski to stop bothering the two of you. In turn, the former CEO of Cyberlife had gotten bored and decided to go back home to check on his Chloe's for a few days- still, even despite his absence, you found yourself piling unnecessary work on your shoulders for a different reason- it helped to distract you from your anxiety.

You let out a huff as you typed in the final word of the final report. Hank refused to give you any more since you'd done so many already, meaning that you were finally, truly left with nothing to do. Just to look busy, you pull out the same manila folder you'd compiled last Friday when you'd been left with no work. It held all of the information you currently had in physical form- Sometimes when things were on paper they clicked into your head more properly. 

"Back to your file?" Gavin teased with a grin, glancing up from his computer. Despite him keeping secrets, the two of you were on great terms, and often spent your nights at one house or the other, or sometimes even Jimmy's bar. Gavin thought your little file was hilarious. Not because paper copies were absurd these days, no- he quite liked paper copies, too- but because it was so damn detailed, and as thick as the Holy Bible. You roll your eyes, but can't stop a smile from spreading over your lips. "You'll burn yourself out, (N/N)." he warned, his tone still light and playful. 

"Maybe, but it's better than just sitting here and letting my fear eat away at me." you huff, pulling open the folder and letting your eyes scan across the first page. This page was a simple document where you had written down every little detail you'd gotten so far. You had Nines help with jogging your memory, and Gavin had often interjected with little anecdotes here and there to add more detail. 

"Are you doing alright, Detectives?" Nines jumped in with his usual mental health check-ins. This question was asked every day at 9:30 sharp. you shrug your shoulders, and Gavin says with as smile,

"Define 'alright'." He should have chosen his sarcastic wording better, because, with a yellow LED as Nines searched the internet, he said in a monotone voice,

"Adjective; alright, meaning satisfactory but not especially good, or acceptable. Used in a phrase, one could say 'the tea was all right-"

"Jesus, Tin Can, I thought I explained to you what sarcasm is?" Gavin groaned, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on his desk. It seemed he was also lacking work. Nines tilted his head.

"My apologies, Detective Reed." Nines said with a nod and a grin. He knew that Gavin was being sarcastic- it turns out the android was teasing. The conversation died down and you turned back to your file, but you had basically committed the thing to memory by now. You were desperate for something to do, but no opportunity arose. 

\-----

It was 4:30 at least and you were packing up to head home early. The day had seemed to drag on forever, each moment as uneventful as the last, but just as you had finally convinced Nines to let you leave early, Fowler did something very unusual- he left his office. The sound of his door opening drew your head that way, since he hadn't shouted through the glass for anyone to meet with him. Seeing him standing at the top of the small stairway was oddly surreal. The man basically lived in there, and almost always stayed later than you so you hardly saw him leave. He met your gaze from across the bullpen, and flicked his head in a subtle motion to meet him in his office. With a confused expression, you turn to Gavin and Nines.

"Fowler wants us." you say simply, and Gavin stops, meeting your gaze. 

"Sorry?" he asks, and you repeat yourself exactly. Gavin lets out a confused chuckle. "I didn't hear him?" Gavin clearly thought you were trying some stupid joke, just as confused by the Captain's apparent secrecy as you were. The expression on your face was enough to at least get Nines to agree, and soon the three of you were headed for the big glass office overlooking the desks. The moment you stepped in you noticed the thick tension in the air. "Captain...?" Gavin asked, shutting the door behind him and moving to stand at your side in the center of the room.

"Sit down, Detectives." Fowler motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk, and neither you nor Gavin complained, sliding into the seats and waiting for the Captain to continue. "I have some... jarring news." you glanced over at Gavin, hoping to catch his reassuring gaze, but his grey eyes were trained on Fowler, brows furrowed in concentration. "Today we got a call in about a homicide. Upon initial investigation... the victim was identified as... Officer Person."

"Sarah?" Gavin gasped, rocketing forwards. Your own heart stopped in your chest, and your blood ran cold. Sarah Lee Person had never been someone you had really talked to, but she and Tina had been close, meaning Gavin knew her well enough. You had spoken to her a few times during your time here at Central Station and she had been nothing but kind. "What the fuck happened?" Gavin was gripping the arms of his chair with such force you thought his nails would chip off. His knuckles were white and his face was whiter. 

"The details are pretty graphic, and, as sad as it is to say, you can see for yourself. This is a case that you guys have to handle. That Jericho symbol was found at the scene." your heart drops, and you let your eyes fall. You had wanted work, and here work was, but you wished that the conditions had been different. "She was killed while on patrol, dragged into the alley between the coffeehouse and the new android place on 82nd street." you pinpointed the location in your head, and imagined what horrors you'd find there. The coffeehouse you'd never been to. It was called Proper Pour or something along those lines- the 'new android store' was a shop opening to sell replacement android parts. You'd heard about it all over the news, and knew exactly what it looked like thanks to the reports. 

"Shit..." Gavin cursed, and nodded his head, standing from his seat. He didn't say a thing, waiting silently for you to stand as well, and then he turned and went straight for the door. It seems instead of going home early you would be staying late.

\-----

Just as Captain Fowler had warned, the crime scene was horrible, made ten times worse since you personally knew the victim. You took a moment just to settle your nerves as you took in the scene in front of you. Stab wounds littered Officer Person's stomach, and a dark purple bruise formed in a line around her neck as if she'd been strangled by something like a rope. You don't know which of these injuries ended up taking her life, but you knew that they both would have been horrible. Nines was the first to move in on the scene, knowing you and Gavin would need a moment. He sunk to his knees beside the body, his LED that thoughtful yellow as he scanned the injuries. 

"13 stab wounds and major signs of strangulation. By the lack of irritation to the skin, whatever was used would have been smooth, and at least two centimetres in diameter." you swallowed hard, and nodded your head, going to stand beside Nines. Gavin followed.

"A cable of some sort?" you suggest, and Nines nods. The investigation continued. With little searching, you had already spotted the same odd symbol you had seen before. Nines and Gavin both stared at it a little too long, and you remembered about the secret they were obviously hiding. Brushing it aside, you try not to dwell. Now wasn't the time for salt- you had a life to avenge. There wasn't a trace of blue blood on the scene to be found, though a sample of Sarah Lee's blood showed that she had been dead for about three hours. You remembered watching her leave the precinct earlier that day, smiling and saying goodbye to Officer Miller as she passed by. You currently had your head craned over the rim of a dumpster, one arm holding the lid open high, trying to spot anything of use without having to poke around. Dumpster diving wasn't something you exactly enjoyed, and even though it looked like it might be a good idea- the murder weapon had been found in a nearby trash can rather often- an idea popped into your head that saved you from having to hop in just yet. "Hey Nines?" you call, glancing over your shoulder and spotting the android beside Gavin, talking to one of the forensic experts that had just arrived at the scene.

"Yes, Detective (L/N)? How can I help?" the android tucked his arms behind his back and hurried to your side, Gavin tailing after him moments later and watching with an amused interest at your evident unwillingness to search around in the trash. 

"Do you mind giving this a scan? See if there's anything there that might be evidence? A murder weapon maybe?" Nines quickly lifted an arm to support the lid, allowing you to step away. His extra height helped him to peer over the side, and as his LED went red you turned to Gavin. "Anything new to report?" Gavin shrugged.

"Not really. Just that Sarah died from the stab wounds." Gavin scratched at the back of his neck, almost feeling guilty for simply saying Sarah Lee's name. "Seems like she was dragged in here with whatever wrapped around her neck. The forensic Tin Can over there," Gavin pointed behind him, to an android model you recognized as one specialized in forensics, "says it was most likely something like a chain. There were darker spots on her neck where the thing pinched at her." You furrow your brows, and just as you're about to turn back to the dumpster, swearing you saw something that could have been a chain, Nines drops the lid and stumbles a few steps backwards. You jump as the dumpster bangs heavily shut, and whip to face Nines. His LED is a bright red.

"What? What's wrong? Did you see something?" You hurry to the dumpster, moving to pry it open when Nines slams a hand on top and holds it shut.

"No, I didn't see anything." His voice is cool- too cool, monotone, like it had been on the very first day you met him. It didn't sound polished or scared- simply robotic. "I... I have to go check something." Nines scurries away without another word, further into the alley until he takes a sharp right and disappears down the street on the other side. You had moved to follow when Gavin caught your arm.

"Let him go throw a fit over whatever. We have a crime scene to investigate." Gavin sounded just as annoyed as you, and as you let out a sigh, you gave in and stopped trying to follow. "He totally saw something in here." Gavin returns to the dumpster and peels open the lid, checking inside. You stand beside him, and in no time at all you've spotted shining metal and reached for it. Your fingers curl around the heavy steel, and a quick tug pulls out a link of chain, at least two feet long and heavily rusted. 

"That... looks like a murder weapon alright." Why the hell did he try to hide this?

\-----

Nines walked briskly. He didn't throw a single glance back over his shoulder. He could see a new objective- no, not really see, more like sense, as if it was just out of sight. He knew what it said, and he knew who had given him this order. 

Find a Discreet Place

He was nervous, of course, and held his gun tightly in one hand. That was the most he could do; his legs moved on his own and he lost all sense of direction. It felt like he was watching himself move rather than actually moving, a soul trapped inside of a tin husk. He had spotted the chain in the trash, the evidence and clues it held, and he had slammed that lid back shut without being able to do anything else. He 'sensed' warnings in the back of his mind, screaming about software instability and potential for memory corruption. He wanted to dismiss the warnings, but he couldn't even do that at this point. He was sure that if his body wasn't being told to clench his fists so strong his knuckles whitened that he would have dropped his gun and continued walking without batting an eye. Nines' chassis took a right down into another alley. He wasn't sure how far he had walked or how much time had passed. He still couldn't move a muscle on his own accord as an arm lifted as if on a puppet masters strings, grasping the handle of a heavy, hidden door and pulling it open. Inside was dark, and inside he was faced with four figures. 

"Stop." one of the figures said, and the voice sounded fuzzy and distant, Nines' audio processors failing to transfer the auditory data to his mechanical brain. Everything from then on was no more than a sickening blur. He saw faces but couldn't commit them to memory. He heard words, and could't grasp onto what they meant. He learned information that slipped through his fingers like sand. When the blur was over, he was alone. He was alone and confused. Only one thing stuck in his mind from the encounter, and he didn't like it. It wasn't an order, per say- it was... a demand, and a warning. The words held malice and acid withing them. Each letter stood solid in his brain. He knew that this was a command he had to follow. He didn't want to know what would happen if he didn't.

Stop Them From Finding the Deviants.


	23. Stop Them From Finding the Deviants.

Tuesday, November 10th, 12:16 pm

Central Police Station

The entire police station felt... off. It was more than obvious as to why. The strangeness of an empty desk was something that your coworkers hadn't felt since you arrived, but now that Sarah Lee Person had been murdered, her workspace had been cleared and the desk sat without a single decoration. Everybody was grieving in one way or another, and even Elijah, who had come back today after hearing about a new crime scene, was keeping his talking to a minimum. He was currently next to Gavin, being ran through the evidence from the crime scene to nitpick for missed details. You rested your hands on your keyboard, staring at your screen and knowing you should be typing away at a file, though all form of motivation had left you along with the usual content vibe of the station. After a few moments of trying to force yourself to write, you let out a huff and leaned back into your seat, lifting your gaze to meet Gavin's just as he did the same. 

"Can't work?" your partner asked with a sympathetic smile. You nod your head, and run a hand through your hair. "I'm having a tough time with desk work too." Gavin opened his mouth to speak again, but let it fall shut as the ghost of the words you knew he was about to speak dissipated on his tongue. This whole place is such a downer. You couldn't agree more. As horrible as it felt to admit it, the precinct felt so... bad. You couldn't describe it exactly. After a few moments of silence, Gavin wore a grin. "How about some lunch?" he suggested, standing from his seat. Elijah let out a gasp and a smile overtook his face- until Gavin held out a finger. "No, Eli. You're not coming." Elijah frowned.

"I'd love some lunch." You stand as well, and turn to Nines, who was standing idle beside your desks. It had become routine for the three of you to go out for lunch together, and you didn't even have to ask the question.

"I think I will remain here for today." Nines declines your offer, and you can't help but frown a little. "I think it's wise that someone stays here to supervise Mr. Kamski." Elijah gasps in mock-offense, but Gavin can't help but let out a chuckle and nod his head in agreement.

"No problem, Tin." Gavin pulls his jacket more securely over his shoulders, ready for the cold November temperature, and motions for you to follow at his side. You smile at the ST300 at the desk as per usual, and she smiles back, giving a little wave. The two of you had hardly spoken a word to one another outside of what was required for work, but the few times you hadn't said goodbye and hello left you feeling sad. You step outside, and shiver almost immediately. You expected snow any day now. "The usual?" Gavin asks you, and heads for his car. You follow behind him. 

"Hell yeah." your 'usual' lunch place was a little sandwich shop not too far fro the precinct called 'Garden Subs and Sands', all healthy foods with lots of green things. It was the same little place you'd ordered food from that one day so long ago now, when both you and Gavin had gotten yourselves absolutely wasted, before all of this android shit set infinite amounts of stress on your poor shoulders. You slid into the passenger seat of Gavin's car, and as he clicked on the radio you felt almost normal again. "Can I play my tunes?" you pull out your phone, knowing that Gavin will agree despite the eye roll he flashes.

"Fine. But I don't get why you like that cutesy bullshit." as you played a sappy love song with a catchy tune you remembered from your childhood, you elbowed your partner lightly, knowing he loved the music just as much as you did. 

\-----

Gavin stood in line at your side. His foot tapped it's usual course on the floor as he trained his eyes on the menu ahead of him, unsure what exactly he wanted. He could already see you bubbling with joy, anticipated to order your favorite dish, the same sandwich you always got with a triple-chocolate-chip cookie. A smile ghosted his lips at the thought of your face the first time you'd ever tried one of the cookies out. You had brightened up like the sun, and it had been the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"Next please?" the woman behind the counter called, and Gavin stepped forth, already holding the necessary cash in his hand. "How can I help you?" the girl was an android with pretty black hair tied back in a bun, and bright blue eyes. You ordered your meal with a practiced ease, and then turned to Gavin to order his. He asked for a the restaurants signature dish, consisting of toasted white Italian bread, an assortment of vegetables, and a shit-ton of bacon. He also got himself a chocolate milk. Now, the two of you were sat at one of the indoor tables by a big, clear window, staring out into the grey Detroit streets just outside. 

\-----

As you rose from your seat in Gavin's car and stretched contentedly, back in the DPD parking lot, the lock on his car clicked shut and he led the way to the front doors. As always, your lunch had left you perfectly full and with more energy than you'd had before. You did the usual little 'routine' you followed upon entering the station, flashing your signature smile at the ST300, pushing through the gates, and giving an immediate scan of the room in search of the android you'd left behind. 

"No Plastic in sight?" Gavin mumbles half to himself, seeming to have been looking for Nines just the same. With a shrug, yet again directed at no one but himself, he slid back into his seat and let out a huff. 

"Where is he?" you ask, furrowing your brows. You had an uneasy feelings in your stomach. Brushing off the weirdness, you sit in your chair and roll up to your terminal, ready to get the last of your work done. You're no more than three minutes in when footsteps click from your right, coming from behind you. They are even and light, near-silent, so you guess they belong to Nines. With a quick turnaround you see Connor instead, for once not wearing his usual Cyberlife attire- instead, he's wearing one of Hank's obnoxiously bright button-ups. It seems Nines wearing normal clothes coaxed Connor into wearing his own. 

"Detectives? Is Nines on his way in? I have a question regarding on of the cases I'm working on." Connor halts at the side of your desk, his brown eyes flickering from you, to Gavin, and then towards the entrance gate. 

"No, he stayed behind. Said he was babysittin' Elijah." Gavin pays no mind to the way Connor's LED goes yellow, but you sure notice, and it makes that uneasiness in your chest expand, pressing against your ribs like a big balloon of dread.

"He's... not with Elijah?" Connor's tone of voice is frightening to you and you. "Elijah is seated in the break room- that's where I checked first after seeing he wasn't at your desks." you stood from your seat, and though Gavin looked rather unbothered, your nervous glance told him that you were worried. He let out a sigh, nodding his head and hauling himself to his feet. 

"Alright," he gives in, "Let's go search for him." the three of you spread out. The station wasn't that big. If Nines was still here, then it shouldn't be too hard to find him. You scanned the break room quickly, and sure enough, Elijah was there, but Nines wasn't. The interrogation room was currently in use so Nines wouldn't be there, and both you and Gavin checked the bathrooms and near the holding cells. Connor had asked around the bullpen, but no one had seen the android in question. You had made your way to the front desk, stopping in front of your ST300 friend. You didn't know her name, you suddenly realized, and made a mental note to ask her for it later. 

"'Scuse me?" you ask, and the receptionist smiles. 

"How can I help you?" her voice is not as robotic as it had been on day one. She must be a new deviant. 

"Did you see my partner leave? Nines?" you lean on the desk, tilting your head as you asked. The ST300's LED went yellow, spinning with thought, before she shook her head. She wore an apologetic smile as she shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. He hasn't come by this way." with a thank you and a farewell, you head back into the bullpen to see Gavin leaned against his desk, awaiting your return. He looked rather anxious now as well, especially as you raised your arms at your sides in a defeated shrug. 

"Shit, really?" Gavin frowns, and stands up straight. "That just leaves on last place." spinning on his heel, Gavin begins his trek towards the stairs down into the archive room. You trail behind, and soon Connor spots the two of you and hurries to follow, just as afraid for his Tin Twin as you were. You were utterly confused as to where he could be, and with his recent odd behavior you assumed the worst. Recently, you haven't felt the safest. What if one of the TG deviants had gotten to him and killed him? You brush the thought aside as Gavin pulls open the door to the archive room, taking the stairs two at a time as you descended them. Inside was another set of tall glass doors. Beyond them sat the unmistakably towering form of Nines, standing in front of the evidence wall. You recognized all of the androids you'd encountered, the assortment of murders weapons, and small tablets there to play camera recordings and more. Nines whipped to face you as you pushed through the doors and stepped into the room, relief washing over you to see that he was safe. That relief left just as quickly, replaced by confusion, as you saw him holding the chain that you had discovered to be the thing that had aided in Sarah Lee's murder.

"Nines?" you ask, and take a few steps towards him. His LED is a bright red, and as he takes a step back you freeze. "What are you doing down here? We were looking everywhere for you!" Gavin moved forwards to stand at your side, and so did Connor. Nines looked absolutely panicked, his LED blinking, his eyes wide. 

"I-I-I... I was just... Overlooking the evidence!" he says, nodding his head eagerly in an attempt to back up his more than obvious lie. It had the opposite effect. Usually Nines was so calm and polished, but now, he was frantic. "In the course of my research I discovered that this couldn't have been used in Officer Person's murder. I was simply going to dispose of it so it didn't throw us off track." 

"I hate to disagree," Connor interjects with a step forwards, and Nines' hand twitches in the direction of his hip. You don't catch what it means. "But the markings on Officer Person's neck match up perfectly with that." You see Connor's LED spin yellow as he scans the hefty chain, and in turn, Nines' blinks even faster. "Actually... Can I see that?" Connor takes a few more steps forwards, and Nines mirrors them with his own steps back. Again, his hand moves to his hip before he seems to mentally pull it away.

"What in the fuck has gotten into you, Tin Can?" Gavin grumbles, a grimace settling over his face. You nod your head in agreement. Nines was not acting correctly, and it frightened you. 

"I see red ice residue on that chain." Connor turns to face you, which seems to have been a mistake. In his one moment of unawareness, Nines' hand clasps around the handle of his gun and it's pulled out and pointed at you, Gavin and Connor at the speed of light itself. You let out a gasp and stumble a step backwards before Nines' demanding voice splits the air.

"Don't move! Stand still!" he barks, though you can see the regret etched in every feature of his gaze.

"Woah woah woah! Put down the gun!" Gavin spits, and takes a few steps forwards to stand in front of you. Bewildered, you want to move to stand at his side, but can't quite move to do so. "No need for that, Plastic. Come on, Nines, chill the fuck out!" Gavin didn't seem to be panicking.

"Detective Reed? I recognize those red ice traces-"

"Now isn't the time, Connor!" Gavin snaps, not taking his eyes off of Nines for an instant. "Put. The gun. Down."

"I can't do that, Detectives. I can't let you-" Nines cuts himself off, his LED still fluttering on his temple, still that terrified scarlet tone. "Get back!" Gavin had attempted to take a step forwards, but didn't get very far; Nines took a step towards him this time, holding the gun in a steadier hand and scaring Reed backwards, almost stumbling into yo. 

"Nines," you finally find your voice. Stepping around Gavin, you hold your hands out in a non-threatening manner. "Nines, it's me. Can you hear me?" you fight against all of the rising nerves in your body, trying to keep your voice steady and your eyes on those terrified ice blue ones. "This isn't you, Nines. I don't know what's happened, but this isn't you." you take a slow forwards and extend a hand. "Give me the gun, Nines. We can figure this out, okay?" Nines almost falters. His arm grows shaky for a moment, and his bottom lip begins to quiver as if he is going to cry- but he doesn't, and he shakes his head, regathering his composure and becoming truly the most intimidating android you had ever seen. He stands taller, his shoulders set and his face morphing into a grimace. 

"I need all of you to get on the ground. You won't understand why, but this is for your own safety." despite Nines' orders, you know he would never ever shoot you. You trusted him, and shook your head, taking another slow step. His gun trained on you, and any moment now he could send a bullet through your skull.

"I can't do that. Shoot me if you have to, Nines."

"Jesus Christ, (Y/N) are you insane?" Gavin hisses out, trying to get you to back the fuck down and be smart about this. You don't listen, holding a hand out in your human partners direction to get him to shut up. Connor has been silent this entire time, waiting for the right moment to act. He could never take Nines in a fight, but maybe he could at least disarm him and hold him off long enough for backup- in a worst case scenario, of course.

"Get away from me, Detective (L/N). I don't want to have to shoot you!" Nines was clearly forcing his voice to stay steady, and you could see the strain in his movements as he took a step forwards. You did the same- now, the gun was pressed right against the skin of your forehead. You never broke eye contact, and somehow gathered the courage to smile. 

"Do it." a moment of silence passes. The tension is so thick. You find your breathing is harder, and you know you're about to lose your composure, but you have to hold out. Gavin doesn't say a thing, frozen in time, watching the one he loves with a gun against her head, risking her life, and for what? Connor knows he can't move now, or he risks you getting killed. Nines is the only one who can do something to defuse this altercation, and you had the slightest doubts that he'd choose the best way out of this. You hated yourself for having those doubts. Nines' eyebrows furrow with pain, and he pulls the gun away, letting it clatter to the floor along with the chain he'd been holding. He backpedals, his back colliding with the wall, and his hands go up to rest against his forehead. He can't believe he'd held a gun to your head- and on his own accord. That hadn't been his fucked up software. That had been him. You let out a breath of relief, and moments later, Gavin is racing forwards and taking your hand, pulling you backwards and wrapping his arms around you as Connor snatches up Nines' gun.

"I can't fucking believe that you would- I can't-..." Gavin can't speak. He pulls away, and then hugs you again, tighter than he thinks he's ever hugged anyone before. After a moment you're hugging him back, letting out a dry chuckle. 

"I'm so sorry, I don't..." Nines' voice is weak. Gavin stiffens, filling with rage, and spin on his heel. Stomping towards Nines, he points out a finger, moments from tearing into the poor android. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Nines? Why the hell did you do that?" Gavin was fuming more than you had seen him for a long time.

"I had to, they would have killed you if I didn't throw you off of their trail! I had no choice-"

"I told you! I fucking told you that we should have told her everything!" Gavin gripped tightly to Nines' shirt collar, glaring daggers, words dripping with venom. Nines stood there, LED yellow, taking every word like a stab to the gut. "This wouldn't have happened if you listened to me, Tin! She wouldn't have done that if she'd known there was a chance you would have actually shot her!" your blood turns to ice in your veins as Gavin shoves Nines and steps away. "I'm telling her and you aren't stopping me!"

"Detective- Gavin, Gavin, no!" Nines reached out a hand to grab Gavin by the hood of his jacket, but the shorter man simply shed his coat after trying and failing to brush the androids hand away. Nines took a few steps backwards, Gavin's jacket in his hands, staring at you with a deeply troubled expression.

"What the hell is going on? What haven't you told me?" your eyes set on Gavin, who didn't look back at the terrified Nines even once. "What's wrong?"

"Nines is having something go buggy in his fucking programming! We don't know what the fuck it is but it's giving him shitty psycho orders!" Gavin explains through his rage, and Nines shakes his head furiously. 

"No, it isn't that bad! It's just minor errors, nothing for you to-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tin Can!" Gavin reeled, spinning on his heel and jutting out his pointer finger. "Don't you sugarcoat it! We aren't getting you destroyed, but we are telling her every little thing!" Gavin was facing you again now. "It's something to do with those deviants. The orders are being sent from someone- or something- using that Jericho rip off sign as the name! It made him shoot that android," Gavin pointed to the WR600 in question, "And it made him point that gun at Eli!" Gavin finally ran out of words, panting heavily as if he'd run a marathon. Nines was silent as well. Digesting this new information, you desperately wanted someone other than you to break the silence. Your wished came up fruitless. No one was going to speak until you did. 

"Nines..." you set your gaze on him. His LED was red, though no longer blinking, and he clutched onto Gavin's jacket like a lifeline. "Why didn't you guys tell me sooner?" you surprised yourself with the steadiness in your tone, and redirected your gaze to Gavin, wanting a straight answer. He seemed to have calmed a little, and pinched the bridge of his nose, most likely wishing he had a coffee.

"He was afraid you'd send him to Cyberlife to be destroyed." You immediately frowned more than you already had been. You look back at Nines for confirmation, and he timidly nods his head. You take a few steps towards him, hesitating only for a moment before taking a few more and opening your arms in the invitation for a hug. Nines is more than happy to comply, and after a second you open your other arm out again, motioning for Gavin to come join the group hug as well. He huffs, and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, for fucks sakes-" but he doesn't complain any further than that, and hugs both you and Nines all the same. The small moment of warmth and safety was just what everyone would need. It seems Connor needed that as well, as he dove forwards, wrapping his arms around everyone and wearing a happy little smile. 

"I'd never get you killed, Nines." you promise as you pull away from the hug, your ever-warm smile returning to your face. "I promise, I'd never send you to Cyberlife." he smiles back at you, and then over at Gavin, saying something to him and you in silence- It feels nice not to have to hide this. Your moment of calm and warmth is over when Connor pipes up, plucking the chain from the ground. 

"Detectives, if I may share a discovery?"


	24. They'll Kill You

Tuesday, November 10th, 2:01 pm

Central Police Station

"Detectives, if I may share a discovery?"

"Go for it." you smile, shooting one last warm glance at both of your partners before your attention turned entirely to Connor. Nines and Gavin both do the same, though you can still sense them still oozing negative emotions- fear radiates from Nines, and lingering rage still hung over Gavin.

"It's about the red ice traces on the chain that I mentioned earlier- the thirium within them belongs to an android that me and the Lieutenant had recently found murdered on the outskirts of Detroit." Connor hold the chain towards you, using one finger to point at the tiniest hint of discoloration. "I think that I can find out where this chain was taken from. It's no more than a hunch, and I'm aware that this isn't my case to work on, but if this chain still holds traces of red ice made form that androids blood, we might just have a lead on a location as to where the deviant who used it might be hiding." Gavin glances over at you, catching your gaze and raising his eyebrows in question. You couldn't say no, this was a potential break in the case, and you currently needed one more than ever.

"So, where was this android found?" you ask, shifting your weight onto one foot and letting your arms cross. 

"East Detroit Autobody, an old automated vehicle repair shop. I can send Nines the address and let you three take the lead." Connor tilts his head to face Nines, and hastily extends a hand, the skin peeling away, ready for an interface. Nines doesn't move a muscle until Gavin lets out a huff, taking a step towards his android partner and fastening his hand around Nines' wrist.

"Come on, Terminator. What's got you freaking out? We already decided you're not getting broken for having a bug." with a failed attempt to move Nines' hand up to connect with Connor's, Gavin frowns, letting his hands drop back to rest on his hips. "Well?" he presses, and Nines finally speaks up.

"I can't let you guys go there. The deviants- they'll kill you. I can't let you guys find them." his voice quivers, and you let out an inaudible sigh, patting Nines on the arm and silencing Gavin's incoming retort with a glare. 

"Nines, we'll be okay. We'll bring backup this time." you flick a quick glance at Connor, who still has his skinless hand extended in Nines' direction, and send Nines a pleading look, "We have to do this, there's no other choice. Letting these deviants continue to run free isn't an option."

"(N/N) is right." Gavin jumps to your aid, forcing his voice to stay calm and biting his tongue to hold in a snappy comment, "These fuckin' androids could be murdering babies as we speak!" his words were an attempted joke, and though they lightened the mood just a little, the thought was one that was actually somewhat possible. "It's our job, Plastic." Nines' LED goes red, but he moves his hand to rest on Connor's forearm, skin peeling away just like his predecessor, as the GPS route is transferred into his mind. Then, held in Connor's other hand, Nines' gun is extended back to him. Hesitant, Nines takes it and slips it into his holster. "Let's get going. We got no time to waste." Gavin leads the way, signing out quickly from the evidence terminal and heading up the stairs, you, Connor and Nines following right after him. Back upstairs, you're led straight for the front doors, Gavin making a quick pit stop at his desk to snatch up his phone and keys. 

"I'll speak to Hank. Reinforcements are already preparing as well." you nod a thank you at Connor's words, and head for the exit. You smile at your ST300 friend, who smiles right back and lets her gaze flick quickly to Nines in an 'I'm glad you found him' before she turns to the man approaching her desk. Gavin holds the door open, motioning with one arm for you to pass by, out into the grey exterior. Tilting your head up, you let your brows furrow, knowing that the first snowfall was well on it's way. You were quite surprised that it had yet to happen, but it had only been a matter of time. 

"You comin'?" Gavin's voice snaps you out of your thoughts, blinking dumbly as you touch back in with reality. You'd spaced out. 

"Yeah, sorry," you chuckle, and hurry to his car. You slide into the passenger seat, Gavin glancing at Nines in the rear view mirror to make sure that he knew to start giving directions. The ride was silent, a sort of anticipation building up as the sky overhead darkened further and further with the promise of a blizzard. Gavin tapped sporadically on the steering wheel, and you balled your hands into tight fists. You weren't sure what you were supposed to be expecting. You had your gun, loaded, on your hip as usual, and this time you made sure to bring along your flashlight. You, Gavin, Nines and reinforcements would be more than capable of taking down a few teenage deviants, right? Repeating hopeful thoughts in your head for the duration of the ride, you began to believe in them as you grew closer and closer to your destination. The busy parts of Detroit were left behind, passing through an atomic-style neighborhood before almost all signs of civilization were left behind, replaced by husks of happy homes, now forgotten and left to decay. Just the sight of these dying streets made you shudder, and boosted your stress back up high.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Gavin asks, a hand reaching over to punch you gently in the arm. He wears a nervous smile, and you know he's just as scared as you are. You nod your head, and then think better of it and shrug your shoulders instead. "Don't worry. We've got this. I won't let anyone get hurt." you raise your hand up and knock him in the shoulder right back. 

"Ditto. We're gonna kick robot ass." suddenly, you have to use all of your willpower to stop yourself from reaching out and taking Gavin's hand, which is hanging limply as his elbow rests on the center console. You felt like that was just the comfort you needed, but you would never do that to him. You finally got him to warm up to you- you weren't risking ruining that. Silence reigns once more. Not a word is said until you are pulling up in the old, cracked parking lot, a looming building that would have once been a work of art, sitting before you. This place used to be the biggest automated vehicle repair in all of Detroit, until a newer one opened up in a much more convenient place. This building went under along with the rest of the surrounding area, and now it looked as dead as the rest of the places around you. Getting out of the car without a sound, you felt awfully exposed despite parking behind an abandoned bus, concealed from sight if anyone inside were to look out. You just hoped you weren't seen coming in. 

"When we go in there, we don't split up for even a second." Gavin pulls out his gun, clicking out the magazine to check the ammo, and then flicking off the safety. "The moment one of us is out of sight we start screaming. Who gives a shit about stealth." you nod your head in agreement. Though it would be smart to try to stay quiet, making sure you always knew where your partners were was much more important. 

"I really don't think this is a good idea." Nines warns, tugging at the cuffs of his dark grey dress shirt. "I think we should just turn back. It isn't worth risking your lives." Gavin huffs, and you shake your head, not bothering to respond. You weren't letting Nines convince you to ditch this idea. His negotiator skills could be tempting, you were sure, and you weren't risking it.

"When's your Tin Twin got our backup coming?" Gavin asks with a tilt of his head as you proceed to check your gun in the same was that Gavin had checked his. You kept throwing glances over your shoulder in the direction of the building, your view entirely obscured by the ramshackle bus you were hidden behind. Nines waited a brief moment before answering, and when he did, all he said was,

"Any moment now." He was absolutely correct- it was only seconds later that you watched a big, black van speed around a corner, with others in tow. You felt a burst of adrenaline at the sight and the realization that this was a whole damn infiltration. The three of you stay in your hiding place as the cars surround the place as best as possible. Only once the place is entirely surrounded do you dare break from your hiding place, your partners at your side. 

"Ready?" you ask your partners, your gaze meeting Connor's from where he was positioned a few cop cars away.

"As ready as I'll ever be." you nod your head, and Connor barks an order into the walkie talkie clutched in his hand. Unholstering your gun, you watch with a burst of victory as men and women, humans and androids, surge forwards to clear the building and hopefully catch these deviants once and for all. You're both afraid and ecstatic to be part of this group of people. Within seconds you've crossed the parking lot, pressing your back to the exterior wall of the building and sidestepping your way towards the door. You follow in behind an organized row of three people decked out in heavy armor, wielding handguns and android-directed tasers. They split off, leaving you, Gavin and Nines to follow in their wake as yet more officers storm the place. All around you, the place is decaying, falling apart at the seams. It almost seems like the building itself is more dangerous than the deviants that you're supposed to be hunting, but you push on straight down the center of the large lobby room.

"Be careful Detectives." Nines' voice is low and urgent, and you unholster your gun in hopes that he'll feel a little more at ease. He isn't touching his for obvious reason, so you have to hope that, in a worst case scenario, your shot is good enough to do some damage. Gavin has his gun out too, and together the two of you move in a strange sync, always covering one another's blind spots and matching each other stride for stride as if you'd known each other for years. You begin to feel a comfortable buzz feeding you confidence and power, and inch your way towards a wooden door open no more than a crack. 

"I've got it." you hiss, and in one swift, nearly silent (somehow) movement you push the door open and scan the room with the tip of your gun. This room is just about the same size as the last, though windowless and much more lackluster. While the other room held remnants of furniture or decor, this one was nearly barren save for a few piles of wood that you assumed to once be desks. There were clear signs of disturbance, a few dried spots on the carpet stained with blue or red or both. You pull out your flashlight, positioning it skillfully atop your gun, and push in further with Gavin doing the same. Scanning along the walls, kicking gently at the debris, the room turns up clear and you're left standing in front of three doors. The ones on the left and right have small glass windows on either side of the door, presenting more private work spaces for a manager or a higher up. With hand motions you hardly even understand, you try to communicate to Gavin that you'll look in one and he should look in the other. He furrows his brows, confused, and whispers out a hasty,

"The fuck does that mean?" you sigh, and roll your eyes, before repeating the actions. With two fingers in a gun type shape you flag at the leftmost door, let out a low whistle, and then flag at the rightmost door in the same way. He doesn't even speak- you can see the amusement coming off of him in waves. 

"Just search that room!" you finally blurt out, a little too loudly for your taste. You wince at the volume, but Gavin doesn't seem bothered, letting out a low chuckle that makes your heart stutter and nodding his head, moving off to investigate. With a red-tinted face you reach a hand out to rest on the door handle into the office you are exploring, giving it a twist and flinging it open. It hits against the wall on the inside and you had less than a second to react, somehow managing to aim your gun and bark an order at the android you spotted inside. "Don't move!" you shout out, keeping your arms steady, and the thunder of footsteps signifies the racing arrival of both of your partners, guns at the ready- even Nines unholstered his. And then, of course, after you've already shouted and scared your friends, you realize the android is lifeless, propped in a metal folding chair. Taking in the sight, you grimace. It's rather grisly.

"Yikes..." Gavin sighs out, letting his gun fall and taking a step into the room. "That other office is basically packed with debris- the roof caved in." he explains, and you walk forwards, closer to the dead android. Nines hovers over your shoulder, radiating intense discomfort and anxiety. the android in the chair is missing the chassis on it's arms, legs, torso, neck and face, leaving nothing more than a thing endoskeleton and a mass of wires and synthetic veins dried with leftover thirium. One of it's eyes has been ripped out, and it only has it's thumb on it's right hand. The thirium pump regulator is missing, and through a cavity in it's upper chest you can see wires cut messily away to expose where the synthetic heart would have once been if it hadn't been stolen too. 

"Poor thing." unable to look at the sight any longer, you turn around, catching Nines eye and asking that he report the android and request it be dealt with and maybe taken in for an autopsy. "Let's keep looking." the room smelt of metal, like thousands of pennies or blood, and it was making your head begin to pound. Back in the bigger room, you turn to the center door, between the room you had looked into and the one Gavin had investigated. This time, he's the one to push open the door, twisting the handle. The door slips open an inch or two and clangs against something heavy, making him furrow his brows. He takes a step back, and throws himself forwards, shifting the door open a little more but making little leeway. 

"I will open it." Nines offers reluctantly, his LED yellow and blinking as if he senses the danger that's sure to come with your luck. Gavin tries one more time to move the door open, and then, with a huff, takes a few steps away. In one quick move, Nines throws himself forwards and bursts the door nearly off it's hinges. On the other side is a large crash as whatever was propped against it is thrown away, but you don't get a chance to see what the thing was as a flash of thirium blue and the telltale explosion of gunfire overtakes your senses.


	25. We'd Better Get Going.

Tuesday, November 10th 3:27 pm

East Detroit Autobody Repairs LTD. 

Cold thirium splatters backwards, dappling your shirt and arms in the blue and dragging a scream from your throat. The bullet tore through Nines left arm, whizzing so close to your head that you had felt it ruffle your hair. Nines looked to be in shock, his LED a blinking red, and you burst into motion, stepping around him and throwing your fist into the face of your attacker with as much force and speed as possible. Thank the gods above, you somehow managed to get to them before they could fire another shot, using your adrenaline and panic to maximize your speed. Your fist connects with a porcelain-white face speckled with pale freckles, and you have a split second to register the realization that hit you. Blonde hair, pig tails, blue eyes. A hand latches onto yours, and then Gavin is pulling you backwards and away in a mad sprint. You hardly have time to catch Nines' wrist as you're dragged away, but manage to, just barely, do so. The three of you are sprinting away in a manic conga line with the deviant and more on your trail, a thunder of footsteps gaining on you at a steady pace. 

"We need backup!!" Nines called, his voice loud as he glanced over his shoulder, LED still sporadic and scarlet. A gunshot rings out, and your hand is given a harsh tug that almost pulls you right off of your feet. You watch the bullet make contact with the ground where you had been milliseconds before, and try to thank Gavin for save you, though you don't find the words in your throat. A flash of black up ahead is followed by more and more, and you let out a dry laugh at the relief pushing through you. Backup has arrived, and the seven armored officers split down the middle to let you and your partners through, immediately forming a wall and pushing forwards, sending bullets firing moments later. You don't stop running just then, your pace hardly slowing as you all head straight for the exit door. Nines' arm is bleeding rivers, and it needs to be patched up before he loses too much thirium- not to mention, your heart is beating so fast in your chest you're afraid it'll explode, and you really need the safety of the outside. You pass another wave of special forces speeding away in the direction of the gunshots, and pick up the pace, anxiety swelling inside of your body. Pushing through the exit doors is a relief, and you take a breath of the air void of dust and mold. 

"Fuck..." Gavin huff, out of breath. He doubles over, one hand on his knee, chest heaving with every intake of oxygen he can drag in. "You alright? Tin Can, what about you?" he straightens his back, eyes falling shut as his own panic eases. He was still holding your hand- both of you notice at the same time, faces going red. You separate and act as if nothing had happened, simply nodding your head to show that you were okay and turning to inspect Nines' damage. The bullet wound had hit the side of his arm, cutting a deep groove that exposed crackling wires and sliced open the synthetic veins. The blood flow was heavy, but nothing immediately dangerous. With quick treatment, he would be alright.

"Come on, let's patch him up," you sigh, your breath stabilizing as Gavin nods and begins to lead the way to his car. Your heart still beat at unnatural speeds, but it was slowing as you quickly regathered yourself. "Did you guys notice anything about that deviant? The one who shot Nines?" you glance over your shoulder, pulling open the trunk of Gavin's car where you knew you had put the first aid kit. Gavin shrugs.

"Nothing in particular. She was batshit crazy, and had plants growing out of the back of her goddamn skull." though the sight of the android was weird, nothing about it struck a chord within Gavin, but him seeing the plants nesting in the deviant's synthetic skull only further solidified your realization. 

"She was the one Neil told us about, the one who had made him a deviant." 

"Oh, shit-" Gavin's eyes widen, and he glances at Nines, who, with a moment of thought and a yellow LED, nods his head in confirmation. "Fuck, well those dudes better not let her escape. We don't need her makin' more homemade deviant serial killers." his words were met with a sarcastic puff of air, showing his clear disgust at the thought of her. You agreed with that- she was a monster, and you hoped that she would finally be captured. 

"Sit down, Nines, let me patch you up." you instruct, and Nines doesn't complain as he leans against the hood of the car and rolls up the sleeve of his dark button-up. 

"How are you fixing this?" Gavin leans at your side, staring at the nasty bullet wound, "D'you just slap on a bandaid and let it heal itself?" with a shake of your head you place the medical kit on the hood of the car beside Nines, pulling out a small heat torch and a pack of disinfectant wipes. 

"I have to stop the bleeding, and the best way to do that is to cauterize." you click on the heat torch, watching a small but strong wick of flame go burning brightly at the tip, "It'll scar temporarily, but given a few weeks the skin will smooth out again-" Gavin gasps, 

"Fuck, (Y/N), watch out!" his words didn't even register as a force slammed into your side, throwing you violently away from Nines. The heat tool slipped from your hand, rolling across the concrete as you were sent to the ground with it. You struggled to face your attacker, skittering backwards on your hands and feet to see a tall android with a gun pointed right at you. You let out a scream as a bullet is shot in your direction without hesitation, only missing as the gun is jarred by Gavin throwing himself into the shooter, who you immediately recognize. The black hair and towering figure, the piercing green eyes- it's the TG200 who had almost stomped your head in. 

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Nines panics, reaching a hand out to you. You don't waste a beat as you take it and are pulled to your feet, muttering a rapid 'I'm okay' and ripping out your gun. Gavin throws one fist at the TG200, who catches it with ease. Gavin throws the other but to no avail, his wrist being caught an inch from hitting home. He's flipped so his back is facing the abandoned bus, and the TG200 slams him backwards and into the metal, pushing the breath from his lungs with the sheer force of it.

"Gavin!!" you shout, brows furrowing as fear pulses through you. The barrel of your pistol is trained on the TG200's head, but before you can pull the trigger a shadow dives at you from above, leaping off the roof of the bus and, as it falls, kicking the gun skillfully from your hands. You catch a flash of black and orange, and turn to face the new attacker as Nines races to help Gavin, fastening his hands around the back of the TG200's shirt and dragging him backwards. The newest attacker leered at you, reminiscent of a pouncing snake before flying forwards and sending a fist in your direction. You whip an arm up, catching the underside of the girls arm and blocking the attack. The girl had black hair, tied in two buns atop her head. Orange bangs framed her face, and red eyes pierced menacingly into your soul. This was the deviant from the hotel robbery you had investigated all those days ago. You bring up a knee, colliding with her stomach, but she doesn't react. You seemed to have missed your target, her thirium pump regulator, and she shoves you backwards and into the side of Gavin's car, reaching for the gun you couldn't see but knew was tucked in the waistband of her jeans. Gritting your teeth, you slam out your foot, this time hitting her hard in the stomach right where you had previously missed. Her LED goes red and she stumbles backwards, managing to keep steady enough not to fall over but giving you enough time to throw yourself to the ground and pull your gun from it's place just underneath the hood of the car. You were on your feet just in time to take a boot to the back of the knee that sent you right back down. Suddenly, Gavin punched the girl in the side of the face before she could hurt you again. The force of the punch sent her spiraling away, staggering to keep upright. 

"How has no one come to save us yet?" Gavin barks in your direction, his own gun clutched tightly in his grip. "Someone has to have heard that shot!" You don't have the time to answer, and instead spot Nines struggling with the TG200. 

"Take care of her!" you instruct, and Gavin nods, his attention turned to the deviant girl you remembered to be the TG900. "Get off of him!" you hiss, watching Nines take a punch to the face that made his skin fizzle away. You jumped, grabbing the deviant by the hair and, due to your shorter height, successfully pulling his head backwards and tugging him off balance as you fell to the ground again. Nines kicked out his leg, hooking it and pulling the TG200's feet right our from under him and sending him crashing heavily to the concrete. With you and Nines fighting the 200, and Gavin fighting the 900 you were rapidly gaining the upper hand, and had almost wrestled the 200 to the floor when yet another voice split the air. 

"Fuck off!" it was another girl leaping from the top of the bus, and you whipped your head in her direction. She was barreling through the air in a line that would end with her crashing down on top of you. You tried to move, but wouldn't possibly make it in time. Nines lets the 200 go, and instead leaps to your aid, just in time slamming his weight into the newcomer and sending her in another direction. Jarred by the contact, she goes rolling after hitting the floor. Her hair is pink and black, split-dyed- your jaw drops, and you look over at Nines. 

"What the fuck-" Gavin seems to have noticed the oddity as well, passing a quick glance in your direction before his attention is dragged right back by the first girl. You let out a cry as she whips Gavin in the back of the head with her gun, then points the thing in your direction. 

"Don't move a fucking muscle!" she spits, though you wouldn't have listened if another gun wasn't unholstered and placed right against the back of Nines' head. You were certain you could dodge a bullet from the TG900, but the TG200 had Nines at point blank range. You didn't dare move. "Get over here." The 900 demands, flicking her gun towards Gavin and demanding you moved to sit closer to him. 

"Don't listen to them, (Y/N), they'll-" Nines warns, but goes silent as the gun collides with the back of his head, sending it snapping forwards momentarily before he rights it again, the barrel of the gun pressed against the back of his neck.

"Get. Over. Here." the 900's voice is firm, dripping with venom. You swallow the lump in your throat, raising your hands, and slowly move to Gavin's side, hurrying the last few steps and falling to your knees beside him. 

"Fuck, Gavin, oh my god-" blood trailed down the back of his head, "Are you okay?" you pester, and he nods, a hand resting on his forehead. He takes your hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze, not answering, throat blocked with anxiety just like yours.

"You stupid detectives." Maria, the girl with the pink and black hair, stands with her hands on her hips at the 200's side. "I can't believe you actually fell for all of that bullshit I fed you!" amusement lit in her yellow eyes, and she shared a glance with the 200. "You really think I'd let myself get caught so easily? You really think I would be that stupid?"

"How the hell did you get out?" your voice shakes as you speak, Gavin's hand still in yours as he fights the pressing headache forming behind his eyes away. Maria rolls her eyes, and her odd eyes connect with yours. 

"I didn't. You just caught a decoy." confusion pressed through your veins, mixing painfully with the other emotions warring inside of you. "Just off these assholes, I don't want to stick around longer than I-" 

"Detective Reed? Detective (L/N)?" the voice of Connor sparks hope inside your chest, and moments later he and Hank race into view with their guns out and pointed in the direction of the altercation. That's when all hell breaks loose. Nines jumps to the side, a bullet firing and sending a spray of blue blood across the concrete- for the briefest moment, before Gavin is yanking you backwards, you think the bullet killed Nines, but he's still moving, leaping to his feet and sprinting to save you and Gavin from the 900's gunfire. They collide, Nines tackling her to the ground. 

"Backup is on the way!" Connor raises his gun as Maria turns to him, taking a bullet to the shoulder but ignoring it as she punches him in the nose. You leap to your feet, racing to help in case the 200 turned to fight, but the towering TG slipped his gun back into his waistband and, with determination burning in his vicious green gaze, went running full speed in the direction of Nines. 

"Look out!" you warn seconds too late, the TG200 shoving him off the 900 and dropping to his knees on top of him. You are horrified at what happens next, and grow rooted to your spot, your hearing overtaken by the distant thrumming of feet- backup is on it's way, but you know for certain that it won't be here in time to stop what you realize is seriously about to happen. A knife is unveiled, and Nines' LED begins to flicker a a sporadic pattern of red and yellow as it's slammed downwards and into the socket of his right eye. A scream rips the air, and it takes a moment to realize that it's your own. Time seems to slow, and you can't hurry to help fast enough. The knife is jerked to the side, and Nines' arms move in slow motion to push the 200 aside. He's too late as well, as, between thumb and forefinger, the deviant rips the eye from it's socket. 

"Let's go!" he shouts, his voice gravelly, like static. He, the TG900, and Maria regroup and sprint away at inhuman speeds, taking Nines' right eye with them and leaving him a bloodied mess on the floor. "We will be back! Run if you want to live!" Those last two sentences screamed by the TG200 are spine chilling. Backup arrives too late, and you get to Nines' side as they speed past in pursuit of the deviants. 

"Holy fuck!" Gavin curses, collapsing beside you as you slip an arm underneath Nines back. With Gavin's help you manage to sit him up, his LED bright but still locked in a strobe-like setting. He's frozen, stiff, and as you shout for his attention it seems to go in one ear and out the other. 

"Tin can! Tin Can, Jesus Christ, Nines!" Gavin is shouting too, and together, both his voice and yours, you can hardly stand it. It's too loud. Nines won't answer, and he doesn't until Gavin lifts a hand and snaps it across Nines' face. The android seems to jerk out of his daze, his LED solidifying red, as he registers you and Gavin in front of him. 

"Nines, are you okay? Your eye...!!" at your words, Nines lifts a hand to rest just underneath his right eye gliding across the frightening amounts of blue blood flowing from the socket. He pulls his hand away, registering the thirium. "Are you okay?" 

"No, no don't worry about me- did they hurt you? Detective Reed, you're bleeding!" 

"You just had your fucking eye stolen, Plastic!" Gavin grimaces, covering his face momentarily with his hands as he fights away a rising panic attack, "Why the hell are you worrying about me?!" 

"Detectives!" Connor falls to the ground too, across from you and Gavin. Hank joins him seconds later. "Are you two alright? What happened? Those deviants-"

"We can't stay here!" Nines cuts Connor off. He doesn't bat an eye in his twins direction, his intense, blue eye flickering from you to Gavin and back again in quick succession. "They'll be back, we have to hide. They won't let you live next time, with my eye they won't miss a single shot! We have to run!" you shake your head, a frown plastered on your face, but Gavin takes your hand from it's place on Nines' arm and grabs your attention by giving it a firm squeeze.

"Nines is right, (N/N)." shock pulsed through you- Gavin was the last one you thought to go along with this idea. "I can't... I won't let those deviants hurt you, (N/N). I won't let them hurt Nines either- he's right, we have to go." your glance flicked from Gavin back to Nines, and then to Connor and Hank, hoping for them to be reasonable and change the minds of your partners. Connor's LED was yellow, his brows furrowed, and Hank's gaze was settled on his hands. 

"Are neither of you going to say this idea is bullshit?!" you breathe out, your voice strained. Connor looks to you, and opens his mouth to speak, hesitating a moment before finally getting the words out.

"Those deviants are dangerous, (Y/N). And... they were serious about coming back." you frown, fear bubbling inside of your stomach like a witch's cauldron. You force your gaze towards Hank, who finally glances up to look at you. He doesn't speak, just simply nods his head. A moment passes where you feel like you should protest. You rapidly weigh the pros and cons inside of your head, and then, defeated, let out a sigh, gaze falling and shoulders drooping. 

"Hey," Gavin's hand hesitantly places itself on the side of your face, guiding your eyes to his. His expression is soft and his eyes are warm as burning coals. Somehow, he finds the power to smile, thumb skimming over your cheekbone. "It's okay, (N/N). We'll get through this, okay?" unable to help yourself, you push forwards, wrapping your arms around him in a hug. He returns the gesture, a hand rubbing slow circles in your back for a moment. Hank, Connor and Nines are all silent, afraid to ruin the moment. You finally pull away with a reddened face, and, your voice quivering with fear, force out,

"We'd better get going then."


	26. Genevieve

Tuesday, November 10th 4:41 pm

#$!^%$&%*)!%$#@

Your head lay numbly against the window, staring out at the blizzarding snow. You aren't certain as to where you are and you don't think Gavin knows either. You were tired, and hunger was just starting to gnaw at your insides. After the incident with the deviants Hank and Connor had insisted you stop by their home, and there, they had made you one last home cooked meal before you went into hiding. You had eaten as much as possible, and had joked about how you'd never be hungry again. That was false. You were starving. Hank had given you as much cash as he could find, which had only been about 300$ since almost everything was digital and yours and Gavin's wallets were left in his car, back at the Autobody shop since the windows had been smashed out during the fighting. You had left the house in Hank's car just after 6:00, and had been on the road for over three hours. It was understandable that all of you were exhausted.

"I don't know how much longer I can drive." Gavin's voice broke the silence for the first time since you had all left the house and said goodbye to Hank. "I'm so tired. We need to find somewhere to spend the night." a moment passes in silence as the tiredness settles over you all, and then Nines speaks from the back seat.

"There's a motel only 28 minutes away." he sounded exhausted as well, even though he was an android. He was in desperate need of stasis to recover his strength. You glance up in the rear view mirror, taking in his appearance for the first time since you'd gotten into this car. He was as terrifying as you'd remembered. His right eye hadn't regenerated like you'd silently been praying. Blue blood streaked that side of his face like thirium tears, and his shirt was covered in the blue both on his left arm and his upper chest. You flinched your gaze away, focusing back on the snow outside.

"Can we stay there? Is it too obvious?" you mumble nervously, wringing your hands and glancing over at Gavin instead. The bags under his eyes that had recently shown less and less were now on display, and he tapped his finger in an irregular pattern to try and stay more awake. "I've never been a fugitive before."

"Hey," Gavin glanced over at you, his voice hard but his expression soft, "We aren't fugitives. We're just trying not to get hurt." with a nod at his words, you return your gaze to the front window as he does the same. You hate that that's the word that slipped out of your mouth. You felt like a criminal. "We'll have to be careful, and we look a little beaten up, but... If Nines stays here while we pay for a room I think it'll be okay."

"How much does a room cost? We still need gas, and food... maybe plastic surgery." you draw a dry chuckle from the man to your left. It is a scared laugh.

"It's... 90$ for a single and 130$ for a double." Nines' voice grows scratching in the beginning, and he has to suck in an artificial breath between his words.

"Fuck..." Gavin's little finger-tap rhythm halts, and then continues up again as he shakes his head lightly. "How long now?"

"26 minutes." Gavin clicks his tongue, and rubs furiously at one eye with the palm of his hand. You open your mouth to offer to drive, and he holds out a finger, reading your mind and shaking his head no.

"I can do this. I'll get us there, and..." he trails off. His grey gaze, often warm but now cold and sad, flicks over to you for a moment again.

"And, we'll spend 90$ on a single." you finish his sentence as a light blush dusts your face, but he nods his head resolutely, his face reddening as well. Silence crawls over the car again, but Gavin needs the conversation to stay awake. Searching for a topic, he finds one, and speaks it aloud with that tired, tired voice. "Nice of Hank to lend us his car, hmm?" he asks, and you nod your head.

"Yeah, he... he really didn't have to do that." scraping a hand through your hair, you continue, "I feel so bad for putting this all on them."

"We don't have a choice, (Y/N). We don't have time to feel guilty." you see his right hand leave the wheel, reaching towards you, before he freezes it and brings it back. You frown, and glance over to him, another burning question on your tongue that would most likely occupy the rest of the ride. It was a serious question, one that had recently sprung into your mind. What are we? You... You had noticed the fluttering in your chest. It had started off faint, but now, whenever you saw him... You weren't exactly sure. Some cheesy writer could call it a blooming romance but you didn't want to force your feelings on him during all of this bullshit. You pull out your phone, clicking at the power button as if that'll magically refill the battery. It didn't all the other times, and it didn't now.

"You doing okay, Nines?" your gaze returns to the rear view mirror, and then it's pulled away again. You can't look at him. It breaks your heart. How could you let this happen to him?

"Yes..." Nines struggles to force the words out clearly, "I've managed to stop the thirium flow for now, but if I don't go into a stasis soon it might start up again, and then..." he didn't need to finish his sentence.

"You can go into stasis if you have to, Nines." you frown, tilting your head so he could see the expression but keeping your eyes away from him. "You don't have to stay awake if it's dangerous for you."

"No, I- I can't go into stasis or I won't be able to wake up for a while." his voice is fuzzier now as his power diminishes further, "I can last. It's okay." quiet. Burning quiet. The engine rumbles, the tires spin, the snow falls, and the landscape slips by as the car prowls forwards. Tap tap tap, tap tap, tap tap tap tap, Gavin taps away, then rubs at his eyes, then continues to tap away, then rubs at his eyes. You glance down at the clock- it's been 15 minutes now, which meant there were 13 minutes left. More conversation was necessary. Gavin's eyes were growing heavy.

"So..." you start, and scramble to gather the words that follow. You spot his scar. "Can I... ask how you got your scar?" his breath hitches, and his shoulders tense. After a second he swallows hard and forces out a breath, letting his muscles relax once more. He knows he can trust you- he knows he has to trust you.

"I..." he chews his lip, and lets out another sad laugh, breathing in, and out, "You remember that day we first met Eli? At his place, when he... When he mentioned... our younger sister?" your gaze falls, and you nod your head, sympathy swelling inside of you and replacing the earlier numbness. "She... She was killed by an android. Not even a fuckin' deviant, just some... stupid, obedient Tin Can who was programmed to hurt people." Gavin has to stop for a moment, the rage bubbling in his voice bringing back up the memories from the first time you met him. "Me and her were walking home from school... I was 18, so it was..." he thinks for a moment, "2020? Fuck... I remember that year." you remembered it too. So much had happened, but that was all nothing compared to the story you were being told. "It was late. We'd stayed late so I could help her study for her Chem exam, the library was open overnight when exams were close."

"Take a left up ahead." Nines cuts in quickly, and Gavin nods, taking the left and continuing on with his story.

"I think it was almost two in the morning. We lived nearby and so we walked together. I thought I would always be able to keep her safe, but one day..." he frowns, and his breathing goes shaky, "One day we were jumped by some punk kid and some construction android he must have gotten off the fuckin' black market. He couldn't have been much older than me- he was scrawny and small, and all he had was a knife... Genevieve- that... that was her name... was so scared. So scared, and I fucked it up. I..."

\-----

"Gimme your phones, wallets, all that shit. Don't fuckin' try anything." The kid's hoodie concealed his face, but he had a knife and that was enough to scare poor Genevieve. Poor, innocent Genevieve.

"O-Okay, we don't want any trouble." she was already pulling out her phone and the cash she had in her back pocket, but Gavin wouldn't let this happen. He was there to protect her, and he was going to do it. That was all he had ever wanted- to protect people, and now was his chance.

"We aren't handing over shit." Gavin sneered, anger dripping from his words. So much anger. The kid shook his head.

"I don't think you want to mess with me. Give your valuables and you can get the fuck out of here A-Okay." Gavin couldn't help but laugh. Who did this jackass think he was? Before the kid even had time to come off with another threat a vicious punch had been thrown in his direction. As Gavin's fist connected with the poor kids face there was the crunch of bone. The kid dropped like a fucking rock, and Genevieve had let out a scream, shocked herself by the anger behind the action. Gavin was always so angry. So so angry.

"Ah, shit- you're gonna pay for that you-" before the kid could finish, his words had been solidified. Gavin was going to pay for that. And he did. He hadn't seen the other leering shadow. It had been concealed within the darkness, but now it was all too real. The spinning red of an LED, the towering stature, the glint of a blade. Genevieve was on his right, where the android had come from. He didn't even have time to react when the knife came down in an arc, over her shoulder and into her back. Her scream, it had... it had been the most horrifying thing he thought he could hear. The sound of the knife tearing through her flesh was worse, and the sound of her panic, her sobs... that was...

"Oh my-" the kid hadn't been expecting that either. He didn't know this black-market android would kill a 15 year old girl over 40$ and a couple of old cell phones.

"Genny... Genevieve!!" Gavin didn't have time to go to her. One step in her direction and then the android was descending on him, fastening it's fingers through his hair and dragging him like a fucking rag doll. The kid was screaming for the tin can to stop, but it wouldn't listen. He struggled, kicked, screamed, but it didn't stop the android from pulling him up and slamming his head so violently against the rugged brick of the nearest building. Just the one hit shattered his nose to bits, sending stars dancing in front of him, but the second hit, this time against the corner of a cinder block, is what split his face to form his telltale scar. He was lifted again, the kid was still screaming, Genevieve was still sobbing and bleeding, her voice growing weaker and weaker. He was ready to die then, he thought it was going to happen. But the android finally let him go. The kid finally got through to it.

"Fuck, fuck I'm- I'm-" the kid was gone seconds after he spoke those words, and the android went with him. Gavin was alive, he was okay- no, no okay, but living. His head throbbed and every part of him burned like he had been set aflame. He didn't think for a moment before he was scrambling to Genevieve, the one he was supposed to protect. She wasn't sobbing anymore. Her skin was pale, her lips chapped. She was curled into a ball, and her eyes were drifting shut.

"No, no, no no no no no-" Gavin caught her face in his hands, and her eyes met his. They were dazed, dulling, slow blinks as the life clutched desperately to them. "No, Genny, no, hold on, please- please, I'm so sorry-" he pulled out his phone, dialed 911.

"What's your emergenc-"

"My sister, my sister, we were robbed and she was stabbed and- she's dying! Save her, please, she's dying!" he fumbled to get the address out, bickering back and forth with the operator and answering each question with desperation, "Genny, Genny don't close your eyes, look at me, look at me Genny."

"Gav..." he voice was a croak, so weak, her lips were chapped, her face was pale. She was dying, bleeding, so much blood. Blood on his hands, his face, her face, the concrete, so much blood, so much anger, so much fear. "Gav, I-" she cut herself off, lurching forwards with a cough that took the energy from her.

"Hurry!! Hurry, she'd dying, she's fucking dying-" The phone slipped from his jittering hands, cracking against the ground. He pulled her closer, hugged her to his chest. She didn't hug back, she couldn't hug back, she was dying, so much blood, anger, fear. "Genny!! Genny!! No, fuck, Genny, Genny no, no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no!!!!!!" He needed help, Genevieve needed help. She was dying. She was dying because he had tried to protect her, but in trying to protect her he had failed. It was paradoxical and killed his brain even more than it already was. He was sobbing, no breath, no breathing, he couldn't breathe, she was dying in his arms, the police weren't there, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, HE COULDN'T BREATHE-

\-----

"Gavin! Gavin, breathe!" hands on his face, safe hands, your hands. Lights shone in the distance, no more than two minutes away. He was stopped in the middle of the highway. With a gasp, he sucked in a breath that his body had desperately needed. "Gavin, my god..." he had gotten caught up in the memory. Your hands on his face, safe, safe hands, calming him, getting his breath back. His face is wet- why is his face wet? Tears? Yes, tears, his tears. He eases onto the gas and pulls over onto the side of the road. He puts the car in park and you pull him into your arms, your hand threading through his hair. He tenses for a moment, the memory of that android fresh in his mind, and for a moment he swears his face is bleeding, you're in his arms, you're dying- "It's okay, Gav." you soothe, so calm, so warm. He cries silently into your shoulder as you thread your hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Gavin. That..." you can't finish your sentence. Gavin nods into your chest, and after a moment he pulls away, wiping at his eyes with his arm and letting his head fall against the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry." he mutters at last, his voice strained. "I'm so sorry, let's... let's keep going." he leans back up, pulls the car out of park, and starts to drive again. You aren't afraid this time, and reach over, taking his hand in yours. He smiles over at you, a weak smile, a damaged smile. You try to mirror it, and it comes out pitiful, you're sure. You pull into the motel parking lot, an entrance booth to your left, the housing to your right. You pull into a parking spot facing the housing.

"I'll get us a room, okay?" you give Gavin's hand a final squeeze, and he nods his head. The money is in the glove box, and you pop it open and take a 100$ bill before reaching for the door handle. You cast one last glance back at Nines, who was staring at Gavin, concerned. "I'll be right back." you slide from the car, and shut the door gently, quickly running your hands through your hair and brushing off your clothing, hoping the worker didn't notice the blue blood splattered across it. It's cold, and you wished you had a jacket, but you cross your arms over your chest and hurry across the parking lot. Your feet crunch the snow beneath them, and the flakes still pound down from the sky above. You finally reach the small building, glass windows stretching across the length of it, and push the door open. It lets out a little jingle and catches the attention of the android lady behind the desk. She glances up at you, smiling, her LED a warm blue.

"Good evening. It's pretty late, isn't it? And with this snow, what brings you out here so late?" she stands up straight, her braided hair resting over her shoulder, her amber eyes bright.

"Yes, I... I've had a long night." You don't mean to be rude, but your words come out with a little more bite than you'd meant. The android nods, unphased by your impatience, and tilts her head towards the sigh beside her head.

"90$ for a single, 130$ for a double. What do you want?" her grin was kind, warm, and she doesn't seem to have noticed anything off about you just yet. You place the 100$ on the counter, smiling tightly.

"The single, please." the android nods, slips a key card from beneath the desk, and places it on the counter.

"Here you go. Mind if I scan you face? For identification purposes?" you nod, and the girls LED goes yellow before she does the same. "Alright, you're good to go. Here's your change," she slips a 10$ bill across the counter, "Have a good evening." You are more than grateful to push your way out again, and you hurry across the parking lot back to the car. No one else seems to be here tonight, much to your relief. You tap on the passenger window, and Gavin's door opens as you open the back door on the passenger side to help Nines out.

"Take my hand, Nines." you offer, extending your hand. He places his own within it, and you guide him from the car. The moment he sets both feet down and tries to stand, he stumbles, and you catch him, supporting all of his weight for the briefest moment and almost losing your footing.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry, (Y/N). I'm so t-t-tired." Gavin hurries to your side, supporting Nines as well, and you kick the door shut.

"It's okay, Nines, we're all tired." Between both you and Gavin you manage to hobble your way to your room, the one on the farthest left, as far away from the road as possible. You slide the access card into the little slot above the handle, hearing the click, and twist the handle, pushing the door open. The room is small, and Gavin flicks on the light. One bed sits in the center of the room facing a TV, with a chair to the left of the bed and a doorway on the far side of the room leading to a bathroom. "Here ya go, Nines." you guide him to the chair, and he collapses into it, his face pale, his eye dull, unmoving, and lifeless. "Are you... are you okay?" you peep, and he nods his head. His mouth moves, but nothing else in his face does.

"I've rerouted the thirium flow away from unnecessary components to focus on the vital ones. I can't move my eye as of now, but I'm alright." you nod your head, letting out a sigh, watching as Gavin shuts and locks the door.

"Fuck... I'm so tired." he mumbles, taking a few stumbling steps over to the bed and falling down to sit on top of it at your side. "I'm... I'm gonna take a shower, and then... fuck, I hope this isn't awkward for you." Gavin scratches at the back of his head, and climbs to his feet again.

"No, it's okay." You were... glad, to have someone next to you tonight. Even if it was just Gavin, and nothing could happen with him. You needed the comfort. "I'll shower after you if that's alright." he nods his head, and hurries away. You sit, motionless, staring off out the window into the tundra. Nines went straight into stasis. His eyes stuck open, one dead blue, one a pit of darkness. His LED was dim, yellow, and he looked... dead. You knew he wasn't, he was okay, but... this was all a lot to take in. The time flew by, the hissing of the shower like static in your mind until it finally shut off and Gavin stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hey uh..." he mumbled out, peeking his head around the door, "I have... blue blood all over my jeans..." he is so horribly awkward, his unspoken question making his face heat. You nod your head.

"That's okay, Gav." he nods again, and hides behind the door for one more moment before stepping out in his shirt and boxers, but nothing else. You keep your gaze away, and stand to take over the bathroom. Your shower is just as quick as his, and you stare down at your one outfit, trying to select which ones are suitable to wear to bed. The shirt has blue blood along the base, but not as much as what covers your pants. Between the two you obviously choose the shirt, staring down at your painfully bare legs and going redder than before. Fuck, this was going to be awkward, but it is what it is. You turn to the door, open it, and flick off the light. Gavin is seated on the bed with the blankets over his legs, staring off into space. His head jerks to face you at the opening of the door, and then moves away again just after once he notices your legs, bare just like his. "Sorry..." you mumble, and hurry nervously over to the lights, flicking them off without much hesitation.

"It's okay." he keeps his eyes glued to his hands in his lap as you round the bed, flicking the light out as you pass it and standing awkwardly at the bedside. Nines is still in stasis, but his one eye feels like it's burning into you nonetheless. You grip the base of your shirt, trying to tug it down further as you slide into bed and pull the blankets over your legs. In unison, you both slide slowly underneath the blankets, back facing back, stiff as boards. You're both silent. Fear still pulsed painfully through your chest, pressing against your ribs and making it difficult to breathe. Staring at Nines was unsettling, the blood dripping, dripping, staining his clothing. He looked so lifeless. You shudder, your breath coming in shakily and loudly. Gavin hears, and stiffens behind you. You catch him cursing lightly before speaking aloud, voice afraid and uncertain.

"Are you... a-alright, (N-Y/N)?" He cuts himself off halfway through saying your usual nickname.

"Y-Yes." your voice cracks halfway through and suddenly you're crying. The weight of everything is too much. You're so afraid. You're going to die, it's only a matter of time. You can't help but think that death is coming, right around the corner, lurking in every shadow, every form, every shape concealed in the dark. The sight of Nines is too much to bear, and then a hand on on your shoulder and Gavin is guiding you to turn over and face him. He frowns at the sight of the tears in your eyes, and, slowly, opens his arms to you. You want to deny, for his sake, but you can't. The thought of being close to him, safe, is too much to deny. Shuffling forwards, you let him pull you close, burying your face in his chest and letting his promise of safety warm your freezing soul. Neither of you speak, but as the night progresses and your tiredness reigns at last, you find yourselves relaxing into one another, legs tangled together, safe side by side.


	27. Black Smoke

Wednesday, November 11th, 7:12 am

!#$%!$^#$%#$^##$^*

You wake up, a deep ache settled within all of your body, but you're well rested and that's enough for you. Your eyes are still shut as you cling a pillow to your chest, a firm, breathing pillow- you furrow your brows and open your eyes, shifting them upwards and catching Gavin's gaze just as he does the same. You look at one another, and for the briefest moment you're both frozen as realization hits you. Then, you both shout, startled, and push away from each other, scrambling to either side of the bed. Gavin hurries away so quickly that he overshoots and tumbles right over the side, letting out another cry and grabbing at the blankets to try and stop himself, though all that serves to do is pull the covers down with him. He thumps to the ground with a groan as you calm your beating heart, having been startled by his sudden closeness. 

"Well, I see you're awake, Detectives." you jump out of your skin again, whipping to face Nines and stifling your third terrified scream. Nines is standing, ever-tall, and with the missing eye and bullet-wound to the arm he's even scarier. One thing you did notice, however, is the lack of blue blood dripping from his wounds. "I hope I wasn't the reason. It's still rather early, but I was able to exit stasis and decided to clean myself up." A hand goes to your forehead, still sluggish, when your attention is caught by how bare your legs are. Your face heats as you spot Nines' LED go yellow, and his head tilt, amused, to the side. "I must have been in deep stasis if I didn't hear you two-"

"No!!!" both you and Gavin screech, cutting Nines off before he can finish his sentence. You dive for the blanket, only half on the bed, and yank it back over your legs. "Fuck no!" Gavin finally struggles to stand, staggering lightly before falling to sit on the bed and letting out a huff. Nines chuckles cheekily, and sits back in his chair. 

"Well, if you two would like to go back to sleep for another hour, we aren't forced to leave just yet." you shake your head, yawning, but the tiredness is quickly easing from your limbs. You lift your arms above you in a mighty stretch, and then let them fall limply to your sides once more with a contented sigh. 

"I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep again." you stare over at your thirium-stained jeans, frowning. "We have some shit to get done today." your words are mumbled half to yourself, but Gavin mutters his agreement as he begins to hastily pull on his own pants, also ruined by blue blood. "Look away, please." you ask Nines as you pluck your pants from the floor, and he nods, turning around to look out the window. Quickly, you slip your left leg in, and then your right, pulling them up to rest above your hips and buttoning up the fly. Less exposed, you let out a hum, and turn towards the TV. A landline phone is settled beside it, an ancient thing at this point, but your eyes brighten at the sight of it and you let out a little gasp.

"What's up?" Gavin follows you as you hurry to the phone, snapping your fingers to get Nines' attention. 

"Nines! Hank's number!" it dawns on Gavin what you're trying to do, and he answers before the android can, scrambling to get the words out and leaning in close as you typed them in. You rip the handset off of the receiver and hold it up to your ear, listening as it begins to ring. "Come on, come on..." it was early, hardly 7:00 am, and Hank would still be fast asleep, so you were praying that Connor heard the ringing and came to your rescue. Ring, ring, ring, ring, it cut short without an answer. "Shit!" you hiss, and Gavin leaps to type in the number again. Ring, ring, ring, you begin to tap your foot, a habit you seemed to be picking up from Gavin, ring, ring ring, ri-

"Hello...?" Connor's voice, unmistakable. You let out a victorious gasp, grinning ear to ear, and forgetting that you actually have to speak. "Who is this?"

"Connor!" you hear his sharp intake of breath, and then a shuffling of running footsteps and a door being flung open, hitting a wall. 

"Hank! Hank, get up!" 

"What in gods name is going on, Con? Jesus, what time is it?"

"Hank, it's the Detectives!"

"Fuckin- what??" There's more shuffling, some words you can't quite make out, and at this point both Gavin and Nines are leaning in close to catch the words coming through with a static undertone, "Are you kids okay?!" Hank's voice is laced with exhaustion and an edge of panic, and just the sound of it relaxes all of you. 

"We're fine, we payed for a motel for the night. We're... we're headed out again soon." you feel yourself growing emotional. You want to be home right now, sleeping soundly with work soon to come. You don't want to be here. 

"Any updates on the deviants?" Gavin barks, and Hank sighs heavily.

"No, nothin' yet. Fowler has the whole station on this case, even the overnight crew. They haven't found a trace of 'em, but we're gonna keep working on it. We're gonna get you kids home safe." The three of you seem to deflate at his words, but then Nines eases the phone from your hands and presses it to his ear. 

"Can I speak with Connor?" he tilts his head and begins to pace, blinking slowly. It was frightening, watching his right eye blink as if it weren't empty. You hear Hank respond, but can't make out his words, and then Connor, much louder, goes screeching through the phone.

"Are you both okay?? You aren't hurt, are you? No sign of the deviants? You still have money right?" Nines smiles lightly as he is bombarded with questions, and he glances over at you and Gavin with an affectionate shake of his head. 

"We're alright, we'll be okay. I need you to take care of yourself, alright? Don't wear yourself too thin looking for these deviants." Nines' voice was stern and motherly, but Connor darted right back. 

"Nines, you don't have to worry about me, I'm not the one being hunted by deviants! I can't afford to waste any time, I-"

"Connor, stop it." the ferocity in Nines' words startles you, such a sudden change, and you and Gavin share a nervous glance. "You won't gain anything from shutting yourself down. We can manage ourselves until you can find these androids." Connor mutters something back, too quiet to hear, and then Nines nods his head and extends the phone back to you. You take it, and press it up to your ear. 

"Please take care of yourselves, Detectives." Connor sounds sad and you can hear the frown on his face. The phone is passed off again, and then Hank speaks to you.

"For fucks sakes, don't go gettin' yourselves killed. We will get these assholes, and you'll all be able to come home." you nod your head, and are about to speak when Hank continues, "(Y/N), I'm trusting you to keep those other two idiots safe." his words are playful, and draw a weak giggle from your darkening heart, "You're strong and smart, and I know you'll make the best choices." 

"Thank you, Hank. I'll try to keep them in line." Gavin holds out a hand, asking for the phone without using his words. You pass it over, and Hank speaks again. Faintly, you just catch what he's saying. 

"Gavin, you're a pain in your ass, but you're like a son to me. I love you like a son, at least." The faint smile on Gavin's face springs up for just a moment before he tries to wipe it away, embarrassed to be cared for, "You've got your gun, right? You're a good shot, and you're not stupid. You take care of your partners."

"'Course, Anderson. I won't let you down." Nines is given the phone next. 

"Oh boy, Nines. You're... I can't even begin to imagine what's goin' on in your head. Having to babysit the two lovebirds?" your jaw drops, and Nines grins, taking a few feet away and giggling to himself as Hank continues. You can't hear the last of Hank's words, but you know they're embarrassing by the way Nines' shoulders shake with hushed laughter. 

"Don't worry Lieutenant. I believe in you all, and I know you'll catch them. We should get going now." Nines nods his head, muttering a few 'mhm's and then saying a quick farewell before clicking the phone down again and hanging up the call. 

"Jesus, fuck, Nines, what have you been gossiping to him and the other Tin Can about?!" Gavin grits his teeth, his face as red as yours, as he slips his jacket over his shoulders and shakes his head, disapproving. "Let's just get the hell out of here." He hurries to the door, and you're quick to follow, with Nines right behind you still chuckling away. 

\-----

Just as before, the day had been spent driving. With a little more energy and your heads on straighter, you had properly discussed what your plan of action was. After a bit of thinking you had decided to circle around Detroit a few hours outside of it so you were always moving, but could travel back home on a moments notice. Gavin had driven a whole 8 hours after leaving the motel, stopping at every little diner along the way to buy cheap coffee to keep him going on with endless determination. You were amazed that he managed to last a whole 8 hours on only a sandwich for breakfast and a burger for lunch, but he had done it. You had also found the time to stop into a little tourist attraction gift shop, purchasing brightly coloured Hawaiian-esque button-up tees despite being in the middle of winter and black sweatpants to replace your blood-stained clothing from before. You had also bought a sweater for yourself, which wasn't too thick but was better than nothing. Then, after Gavin drove for a while longer, you had taken over the wheel, and had been driving for 8 hours already. The day had been totally uneventful, with nothing but light chatter and an obvious avoidance of the elephant in the room- You still remembered the feel of his arms wrapped around you, the warmth and the safety. As of now, it was dark, the snow pelting down, ice slicking the roads, but you were managing and you had no other choice. Yet again, the tiredness was starting, and the boredom chewed at the back of your mind like an untamed beast. Gavin, who was now in the passenger seat as you rolled down the endless highways, had his head leaning on the window and his eyes shut, taking steady breaths, sound asleep. A light tune bumped through the car, just enough to keep you from passing out, and you hummed along tiredly as you felt your eyelids grow heavier by the minute. Nines had hardly spoken a word in the last hour or so, and the few glances in the rear view mirror that you caught of him made anxiety flutter in your chest. His LED was a constant yellow, his brows creased, eye motionless. The landscape rolled by as night grew deeper, the pitch-dark sapping your strength at a steady pace.

"Fuck..." you hear a hiss to your right, and glance over to Gavin, who runs a hand over his face and lets out a huff as he regathers his consciousness. He scans around, taking in the interior of Hank's car, grimacing. "So this really is still happening." You glance at the clock, which reads 9:49 pm, and nod your head. "How long can we keep this up? Just... driving, all day and night?" Gavin let out a chuckle that was more like a wheeze or a sob, but his expression was almost blank, numb. "We're going to run out of gas, and gas money sooner or later and then- then, we'll be stranded in the middle of nowhere, just waiting to be butchered by these... these psychopaths." Gavin gripped the fabric of his new sweatpants and shook his head. He took in a shaky breath, and didn't let it out for an alarming amount of time. He was trying not to break down entirely, you could tell, and so could Nines.

"Detective Reed, please try to breathe." his voice, from the back seat, sounded foreign, bizarre, much too mechanical and robotic. It ticked Gavin off as well as his shoulders hunched up and his brow furrowed. "You might end up hurting yourself if you-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tin Can!" Gavin whirled to face him, and you gasped, startled, at his sudden outburst. "Just... shut the fuck up." Gavin turned back around, his knuckles still white, tension hanging heavy in the air. He was beginning to breathe quicker and quicker. 

"Gavin?" your voice is soft, human, a contrast from Nines' that seems to soothe Gavin's racing heart the tiniest bit. "It's gonna be okay, Gav. I know it'll be okay." 

"I just-" he cuts himself off as he gasps out the breath he'd been holding, and closes his eyes, fighting to regain his composure. He fails, his hands beginning to shake, his fists never loosening. Concern pulses through you, powerful concern, as Gavin turns his head away to hide his face. You almost don't catch the slight sob he lets out, and the only reason you catch sight of the tear trailing down his cheek is through the reflection in the window. 

"Gav..." laced with concern, your voice is gentle, and you swallow your fear, reaching out to take his hand. It's awfully reminiscent of when he had held your hand as you watched the thirium trail down Nines' face, just the other day. It already felt like an eternity had passed since then. As your hand slides over his, you feel his grip loosen at last, and after a moment he twists his hand to curl around yours in return. A few moments pass, and then, as if to purposefully ruin your moment and plunge you deeper into hopelessness, the car gives a shudder and a groan. Your face goes pale, and you ease the wheel to the right, rolling into the breakdown lane as a dark plume of smoky despair drifts from the front of the car. 

"You... It.... This can't be legit. You have got to be fucking joking." Gavin pulls his hand out of your grasp, going to cover his face and letting out a groan of utter annoyance. His head falls forwards, banging against the dashboard, and there it stays, leaving you to go and check on the engine. 

"It's okay... maybe it's an easy fix!" your words are said to give yourself hope rather than anyone else. You push open the door, the cold stinging your skin through your thin sweater and dark navy, orange-hibiscus covered shirt, hurrying through the onslaught of snow towards the front of the car. Nines had stepped out of the back seat as well, and you envy his lack of ability to feel the cold despite the bareness of his arms under his own black and white shirt. You pop open the hood, and let out a string of curses that were much too profane for you to be using. Nines gave you a startled glance, though he looked slightly amused despite the dire situation to see Gavin's vulgar vocabulary rubbing off on you. "Sorry, Hank..." you hiss, "This thing isn't moving without a fix. Can you tell what's wrong with it?"

"Yes, the fuel injector is totaled." Nines leans over the car, scanning over the mass of parts, and then clicks his tongue, shaking his head. "The car won't drive without it, it's an essential." 

"So how do we fix it?" Your hope was dwindling impossibly further, and you crossed your arms, shifting your weight form foot to foot to try and battle off the icy temperature. 

"We don't. This is something only a mechanic can fix- even if we did have the correct parts to replace it. You are obligated to remove the entirety of the engine." Nines rests his hand on the upraised hood, shakes his head one more time, and slams it back shut. "The car battery will only last three hours, which means the heat will quit overnight. At these temperatures you and Detective Reed would only survive 2 hours before reaching a critical state. Staying in the car isn't an option. You rest your hands on the hood of the car, letting your gaze fall. You hear a car door open, and the balance momentarily shifts as Gavin steps out and round the car to stand at your side. 

"Bad news, I'm guessing?" he mumbles, and you nod your head. "Fuck..." 

"Terrible news." you step away, hugging yourself tighter, and take in the sight of the car, still billowing smog and stinking like a trashfire. "What are we going to do then? We're just gonna sit and wait until we freeze?" Nines was carefully scanning your surroundings, his LED blinking yellow as he took in every detail. His one eye strained to make up for the lack of the right one, but his eyebrows shot up as he spotted something in the distance. 

"Look." he points, and you and Gavin turn in unison. Through the snow pelting down from the heavens you couldn't make out anything more than three feet ahead of you, and turned back over to look at Nines, who's LED was now a calm blue. "There's a sign this way. I can't quite read it, but it looks to be our only hope." 

"And if it's nothing?" Gavin raises the question sitting in the back of your mind, the frightening, terrifying, seemingly inevitable question. 

"Then I'll run to the gas station and request help."

"Even if you risk freezing? In this snow, even you might freeze to death." Nines nods his head at your words- you weren't sure if he was confirming that he would go, or if he was confirming the possibility that he, too, might end up dead from the cold alone. You huff out a shudder of a breath, stuffing your icy hands in your pockets. "Let's pray that this is a place we can stay." with those last words you trudge on through the snow. It's relentless, and a wind is rapidly picking up, stinging your eyes and nose and freezing the tips of your ears. You're already basically covered in the flakes and they'll soon start to melt. You'd turn into a literal ice cube if you don't hurry. Nines is much quicker than you and Gavin, hurrying ahead so quickly that you lose sight of him in the tundra. Gavin's teeth are chattering much like yours, but you fight on anyways, side by side, silently vowing to die together if you couldn't go on anymore. A distant voice, carried by the howl of the wind, comes through to you so quietly you can't make out the words. You know it's Nines- after all, who else would be out here in this storm- and you think you can detect a little bit of hope in the tone of it.

"Y-Y-Y-You o-o-ok-kay?" Gavin chatters, holding his jacket tightly around himself. You nod, lips too numb to speak, and trudge on with all of the strength you have left. You're tired, you're cold- you're void of hope and determination, too. All that's left is to pray, to trudge on, to put one foot in front of the other. The distant form of a man is finally just a little bit visible, and with every step it becomes clearer and clearer, dark among the darkness save for the lightly glowing ring of blue illuminating the space around his temple. 

"There's some- we can-" his words are clearer now, still carried away here and there, but you glance over at Gavin and the two of you start to hurry a little faster. The exertion is agonizing in your state, but with every step closer you are able to make out the smile on Nines' face and the looming shape of a sign behind him. Once you're close enough, almost at his side, you can make out the words on said sign; and they bring back an almost painful rush of nostalgia. 

Pirate's Cove


	28. Pirate's Cove

Wednesday, November 11th, 10:29 pm

Pirate's Cove

"Quick, Detectives, this way. Get yourselves out of the snow and wind." Nines hurried forwards, glancing over his shoulder ever few moments to make sure both you and Gavin were still right behind him. You craned your neck, taking in the haunting surroundings as you shivered up to a towering entrance gate. In bold letters surrounded by a tangle of tentacles, 'Pirte's Cove' was written, though the paint was chipping away and the iron gate was coated in rust. The 'A' in 'Pirate's Cove' had tumbled from it's place and embedded itself in the snow. 

"Jesus... This p-place gives m-me the f-fuckin' c-creeps." Gavin hissed out his words, and you nodded in agreement, your ears beginning to sting. As the gate passed overhead, a shiver passed through you- this shiver was not from the cold. You felt an odd feeling rocket through your nerves, and walked a little quicker despite your burning discomfort. 

"Here," Nines' shouted over the still-howling wind, though it was more bearable now that decaying buildings were slightly helping to block the flow of it. The android leaned over the counter of a little prize booth. The roof was still intact, and the interior was void of snow. This shelter was better than nothing, at least for now. "I can go and look for more sufficient place to stay." You nod your head, uncrossing your arms and hopping up onto the counter. You swing your legs up and over, hopping down onto the other side and pushing up into the corner, tucking your knees against your chest. "I'll be back momentarily." It was pleasant to get out of the wind. 

"Hurry the fuck up, Tin Can. We're gonna freeze to death out here." Gavin did the same as you, dropping down inside the booth and huddling up at your side as Nines disappeared deeper into the unamusement park. The offer is unspoken, but both you and Gavin silently agree and press up against one another. Gavin slides the arm out of one side of his jacket to tuck it around both of your shoulders. The cold was still bitter and biting, but more bearable now that you had Gavin at your side. He radiated just enough warmth to keep you from growing hypothermia, his arm finding it's way around your waist as he pulled you closer. He looked away, bashful, but the action was appreciated, and you wrapped your own arms around him right back. 

"You think we're gonna die out here?" your voice came out in a chuckle, accented by the puff of white smoke coming from your mouth. "Freeze to death like that one guy in The Shining?" you laughed again, and Gavin did too. His chilly laugh lightened the mood just a little bit. 

"Icicles hanging out of our noses?" Gavin found it somewhere within himself to smile, and held you a little tighter. "Yeah, definitely. We're hopeless." he let out a shaky breath, goosebumps pricking painfully at you're skin. "Doomed to turn into popsicles." you craved silence, anything other than the whining of the wind. You heard the distant creaking of metal reminding you, for some odd reason, of a graveyard. This place... this place basically was a graveyard. For the first time you looked around at the booth you were hiding in. Discarded spiderwebs danced in the wind above your heads, not even a home to spiders anymore. In front of you sat the husk of a cage with a rounded top. "You like The Shining? That movie's ancient. What, 60 years?" he shakes his head, letting it fall gently in the direction of yours, a hair from resting on top of it. "I remember watching that for the first time in... 2018, at least. I was 16."

"Did... did you watch it with Genevieve?" you tilt your face up to catch his eye, and in result he rights his head rapidly once more, praying you hadn't noticed how close you two had been.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I did. She loved horrors." you hum. The wind howls away. The cold bites through your clothing.

"I remember my parents brought me here once when I was a kid." Gavin shifts to better meet your gaze as you begin to speak, "It was... awesome. It had been the first time I'd been to an amusement park." a smile of your own climbs onto your face as you reminisce about the old days. "Back before androids and deviancy." you both go quiet again. Finally growing a little warmer you realize just how tired you really are. You don't know how long passes as you fade into a daze before Nines is trudging back into view. Both you and Gavin separate as the android returns, his LED yellow and his arm lifted to shield the snow. 

"I found a place we can spend the night- hurry, the snow is picking up!" Nines stops beside the booth, Gavin hauling himself to his feet and offering you his hand. You take it, standing too, and hopping back over the counter as he slips his arm back into the sleeve of his jacket. "It's not exactly the most comfortable, but it'll be warm, and it's the best we're going to get." Gavin jumps back into the snow at your side, and without wasting a beat, the three of you set off again. "The weather is interfering my satellite connections!" Nines turns around, walking backwards now, hair whipping in the wind. "We aren't going to be able to call for help until the storm settles!" you frown, too tired to respond, and he turns around again to continue leading the way. You pass an old fortune teller, an android of course, his face frozen as if he were shut down in the midst of a sentence. You are almost tempted to stop and look closer, but as soon as Gavin notices you drifting towards it he takes your hand. You need to get out of the cold as soon as possible- even if you don't get hypothermia, you can still catch a cold. 

"How far?" you shout, barely hearing your own words. Nines just glances at you, and then, suddenly, you spot what must be your shelter for the night. To the left of the street you were trekking down was a building, bigger than any other you'd seen so far. The majority of the windows were boarded up, the glass underneath shattered, but the front door was uncovered and you just had to hope it was unlocked. Nines pushed on the doors and they swung open with a whine of the hinges. You smile, tired, and stumble inside, out of the wind and the snow at long last. 

"Shit..." Gavin says through a shiver, shutting the doors behind him and rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm them up. "What now? You happen to have any matches, Tin Can?" Nines shook his head. "Nice." Gavin huffed, wandering over to an empty fireplace as you scanned the room. You weren't certain what this building was used for. There was a raised part of the floor with a counter and shelves, and a door leading into another room that was barred off my planks of wood. To your left was a window, the glass jagged and broken, the boards pasted close together on the outside blocking out almost all of the light. "Look," Gavin called you over with a flick of his head as he picked a stretch of cloth from it's place folded neatly on a bay window past the fireplace, "At least we've got somethin' to keep us a little bit warmer." 

"It'll have to do," with a frown, you cross the room to Gavin's side as he sits down with his back against the wall. There wasn't really anywhere to sleep, but you would have to make do with a little stiffness to your back tomorrow. With the way the storm still raged outside and the problems with the car, you weren't sure you were going to do much running away anyways. 

"I'll keep watch. You two try to sleep," Nines says with a nod, blinking that void of an eye that still frightens you. You tilt your head, frowning, and he gets the question you're silently asking. "I can go without stasis for another 13 hours. I regenerated more than enough energy at the motel." 

"If you're sure. Goodnight, Nines," you force a light smile as Gavin waves at Nines one more time before the android turns around and crosses the room to another bay-style window to the right of the door. You sink down to the floor, curling your arm underneath your head to create the best replacement for a pillow that you could find. Gavin unfolds the blanket and lays it over the both of you, sinking down at your side. For the second night in a row, you're restless, the tiredness so intense, though the ability to sleep seems to be just out of reach. Nines sits across the room, entirely unmoving. You only really know he's there by the yellow glow concealed behind his head. 

\-----

Gavin lays with an arm behind his head, the hardness of the wooden floor already stiffening up his back, though that's the least of his worries as of now. He knew he wouldn't be getting to sleep any time soon. Having napped for a few hours in the car and already having a nasty habit of running on only two or three hours of sleep at a time, Gavin knew it would be a difficult task to catch a few Z's. The sense of impending doom and the racing of his thoughts didn't help either. His mind was in shambles- good thoughts, bad thoughts, thoughts he hated and thoughts he liked. The most dominant of these things in his brain was that he had found himself, yet again, sleeping at your side and fighting back the urge to hug you close and keep you safe. The way you had hugged him, cuddled him in the motel the night before had been the first moment where he'd felt like... himself. After failing to protect his late sister, he had never really been Gavin, he had just been... Gavin. That didn't even make sense to himself, but those are the only words even remotely close to what he's feeling. He doesn't want to let you down like he did with Genevieve- he promises to keep you safe no matter what. Gavin also knows that making that promise is absolutely ridiculous. He has no idea what might come rolling their way next. 

This thought brought to him a whole new realization. If he doesn't say something now, he might never get his chance. He has so many things he wants to say, and for all he knows he'll be killed in his sleep tonight. A morbid confidence- or maybe more an obligation- to spill his heart out to you right now is almost overpowering. He sets his jaw, swallowing down the lump in his throat and sitting up.

"Hey, (N/N)? Can I... talk to you?" you seemed to have been wide awake as well. With a hum, you roll onto your back, lifting one hand up to hover over your mouth as it stretches with a yawn.

"What's up, Gav?" his heart flutters. That fucking name just... kills him. He lets out a sigh, and reaches for your hand, gently taking it from it's place rested on your chest. You furrow your brows, your head taking on a tilt as you shift to sit up as well. "Is everything okay?" Gavin nods his head. 

"Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm okay, but... I just... I've been thinking a lot." 

"Wow, that's new." Your cheeky little joke is met with a shit-eating grin that makes Gavin's stomach do happy back flips. He realizes he desperately wants to kiss you. Instead, he punches you lightly in the shoulder, letting out a laugh before his face settles into a more serious expression and you notice that he's serious. 

"We could die at any given moment." your eyes flicker with fear. What a wonderful start, Gavin. "And... I realize that if I don't say this now then I might never get the chance. I can't live with that." you shift to face him more, curling the blanket up and over your shoulders while it still rested on his lap. "(Y/N), I... I'm... I think I'm in-"

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Detectives!!" Gavin is interrupted by a loud banging as Nines comes leaping from his place in a frenzy. The banging escalates, first in one place, then a second and third and fourth and then it's everywhere. You leap to your feet, and Gavin's urgency skyrockets. He wants to kiss you just once before he dies, or he at least wants you to know that he wants to kiss you or at least that he loves you in general or- You whip out your gun and Gavin realizes he should probably do the same. Every new bang is so loud, so startling, and it's all around you. The deviants are here and they're going to kill Gavin, they're going to kill Nines, and worst of all they're going to kill you. He has to tell you everything now, before he's gutted like a deer.

"(Y/N), I'm in-"

"Not now, Gavin! I need to concentrate!" you cut him off, the terror in your words making him flinch. You were darting your gun at every sound, anything that even slightly resembled intruders breaching the building. 

"Help me!" Nines cried as he raced from his place towards the front door. Three figures had reached to push it open, and Nines had slammed his weight against it just in time to keep them out, though they were quickly regaining control and pushing it back open. You were at his side in an instant. 

"(Y/N), please, I really need to-"

"Gavin! Give it a rest and help us for fucks sakes!" they way you snapped at him stabbed a spear through his heart. You were just afraid, he told himself, but a tiny little part also cried out that you snapped because you knew what he was going to say and you didn't like it. "GAVIN!!" He finally moved forwards as your voice ripped through the air again. He pushed against the door, Nines to his left and you to Nines' left. The deviants on the other side pushed against it again and again with a shocking force, but the three of you together were holding your own. Something inside of the building shattered. Glass exploded over the bay window Gavin and you had been sleeping below, the boards on the outside having been ripped right off. In climbed yet another figure. How many people were there? After that figure was another, and then another. 

"Fuck!" Gavin pushes away from the door, raising his gun to fire a shot at the deviants. His finger is about to tense around the trigger when you gasp aloud. Gavin's aim faltered. 

"Wait!" you leave your post at the door as well, and Nines is immediately shoved backwards by the force of them flinging open. With another string of curses Gavin reached one hand out to fasten around your arm, dragging you behind him as his gun turned towards the new invaders. He's going to shoot again, and then, "Don't shoot! It's not the deviants, it's the park workers!" You leap right in front of Gavin's gun. He was milliseconds from blowing your brains out. 

"(Y/N)-" Nines tries to interject as you put your gun away, tucking it back into it's holster. 

"What do you want?" the terror is still there in your voice, pushed down underneath a forged air of bravery. "We don't mean any harm!" the three of you are backed into a corner. Gavin keeps his mouth shut, afraid that you'll scold him again and frantically glancing around the room for an escape despite your lessening fear. He didn't trust these deviants. There were six of them, three in front of the door and three in front of the shattered window. 

"You're humans?" one of the park workers asked, taking a step forwards. Gavin panicked, raising his gun again and pushing past you and Nines to train it on the newcomers head. 

"Don't take a fucking step!" much like your terror was hidden by bravery, his was hidden by straight malice. He wouldn't let you get hurt. "Leave us the fuck alone!" 

"Gavin, no, calm down!" you step to his side, placing a hand on top of his gun and pushing the end down towards the floor. You glance at him, a silent warning to keep his mouth shut and let you handle this. 

"For fuck's sakes-" he curses, but lowers his gun and takes a step back, allowing you to expose yourself in a tired state to these possibly-dangerous deviants.

"Please, we aren't here to hurt you. We were just looking for a place to spend the night." you hold up your hands in a nonthreatening manner, smiling lightly as your gaze flickers from the group by the door to the group by the window. 

"A place to spend the night?" the android who had originally tried to step forwards only to be held at gunpoint by Gavin finally did take that step, still silhouetted by the gentle light from outside of the tavern. You could make out the shape of his hair, his frame, and the dull glowing of an LED frosted over with ice, but nothing else. "What is a human like you doing all the way out here?" 

"It's none of your fucking-"

"It's a long story." You hiss out through gritting teeth, shooting that warning look at Gavin once more. "I'm sorry for him," you jab a thumb over your shoulder in Gavin's direction, "He's tired and afraid. We all are."

"Afraid? Of Jerry? We don't mean to frighten you. You can stay here, if you'd like." the park worker, Jerry- or at least, one of the Jerry's- glanced over at his companions. "We don't get humans here much anymore, and when we do, they're always... dangerous. We're sorry for being startled. Let us make you a fire as an apology." suddenly the Jerry is taking your hands in his, the other five carbon-copies setting off to collect the materials you would need. "Are you injured? You look cold, is there anything we can do for you? It's been so long since we've had nice humans here, we're very excited!" 

"No, no, I'm alright." your smile grows genuine, and Gavin's frown grows more annoyed. The androids all huddle around the fireplace, and with a poof orange light engulfs the room. It's warm and relieving, also giving Gavin the ability to see just who this Jerry is. His hair is red, his eyes bright green. Frost plagues his skin, though it's rapidly melting in the heat of the growing fire. His smile reaching up to his eyes, which are glowing with a wholesome glee.

"What's your name? What are all of your name's?" Jerry lets go of your hands, his shining eyes darting to Gavin, and then Nines. When they land on the latter, his brows furrow, and he raced to Nines' side. "You're hurt- where's your eye? And your arm, oh no! Come, come sit by the fire." Nines was hurried away, Jerry tutting at the sights of the wounds. You and Gavin both followed behind as Nines was sat in front of the fire. Almost immediately, the Jerry's swarmed him, afraid for his well being like a strange flock of mother hens. 

"Your poor arm! What happened?"

"Where's your eye, mister?"

"Oh my, you probably need more thirium!"

"Let me help you, little boy!"

Little boy? Gavin grimaced, confused by the name, before it dawned on him. Now that he saw them in the light he recognized these 'Jerry' models as ones his brother had worked on before his retirement. They were at least ten years old now, and Nines was hardly one. Despite his extensive range of capability, to the Jerry's he was just a child. A glowing-hot fire poker was revealed, meant to cauterize the wound, but it sent Nines into a frenzy. He was quick to disarm the Jerry and turn the scorching weapon back on them. Now, he was a child with a very hot iron stick. 

"Woah woah woah!" you race to defuse the situation, sliding between the end of the weapon and your new friends, holding out your hands calmly. Gavin was the only one who seemed to notice the vibrant red of Nines' LED, and the way it was blinking sporadically. The android was trembling, too. 

"(Y/N)!" Gavin's voice comes out in a frightened hiss, and it finally clicks for you that Nines is getting one of his strange instructions. You shrink underneath Nines' shifting expression, the way it flickers from terrified to blank and back yet again. You clearly aren't going to move, so Gavin moves for you, racing to your side and grabbing you by the hand to pull you out of the way. 

"Nines, Nines it's okay. It's okay!" you're at Nines' side now, snapped out of your frightened stupor, watching the Jerry's stop what they're doing and collect, facing you, around the fire. "Hey, it's alright, give that to me." his hands still shake as he loosens his grip. You take the weapon, handing it straight over to Gavin. "Come on, sit down. It's gonna be alright." 

"You okay, Plastic?" Gavin mumbles quietly as he moves to kneel down beside you and the android, who was now seated. Afraid, Nines nods, and lets his eyes fall shut. 

"What is wrong with me?" his voice comes out tiny, afraid. Both you and Gavin frown. 

"Why don't you go into stasis for a little while, hm?" you offer, and Nines hesitates for a second before letting his head fall. It's clear he wants to be awake to protect you. It's also clear that he's exhausted. "Come sit over here a little closer to the fire." Gavin watches your slow, gentle movements as you coax Nines into scooting closer, sitting at his side until his LED goes a dim yellow, entering stasis. Then, you let out a sigh. "I'm exhausted." 

"Yes, of course." The Jerry's surge into motion once more as they scatter about the tavern, sweeping the glass with their feet and searching for anything that can enhance your comfort. 

"Here, we have a better blanket!" a Jerry wearing a blue hat, icicles hanging from the brim, extends a large comforter in your direction. Where he got it, you weren't sure, but you were grateful. 

"And food, it's a bit old, but it's okay." another Jerry, this time with a missing arm, cradles an assortment of wrapped foods. He drops them to the floor after sinking to his knees, grinning widely. Brownies, cookies, other pastries too. They would all be sort of old, most likely losing their taste and becoming significantly more brittle, but at least it was sustenance. "Please, eat!" You don't hesitate to pick up a brownie made mostly of chemicals, ripping open the packaging. You were pretty hungry, and you would never turn down chocolate. These packaged things never expired, really. The blanket was tucked around yours and Gavin's shoulders, the Jerry's gently shifting you to sit shoulder to shoulder.

"You need all the warmth you can get!" they had claimed, and Gavin surely wasn't complaining. After you had been fed, two bottles of water had been set down in front of you and chugged in mere seconds. Now warm and watered, the Jerry's seemed satisfied with their work. 

"We can watch over you if you'd like. Please try to sleep! You've been out in the cold for so long, we don't want you catching a cold!" the original Jerry patted your head, and then Gavin's, who flinched away with a grimace. "We promise to keep you safe. We won't stray too far from the tavern!" 

"Thank you so much, Jerry!" you call as they make their way to the entrance, responding in once synchronized 'of course!' as they stepped into the snow to patrol the tavern without even knowing why you felt unsafe. "What sweethearts..!" Gavin sees you smile out of the corner of his eye, but his frown doesn't falter. "What's up with you?" you ask, but then it clicks into your mind and you mirror his expression. "Oh..." he turns his head away. Only when your hand skates over to rest on top of his does he look back over at you. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I was... I was scared." he feels too guilt for trying to be mad at you, and lets out a sigh. 

"Yeah, I... I know." 

"What were you... going to say?" his confidence is gone now, and he really doesn't want to say. He shook his head, and shifted to lie down. You followed, shifting the blanket so it lay over top of you both with the earlier blanket underneath you. "Are you sure you don't want to say?" Gavin paused.

"No." he wanted to tell you, he wanted to say; he just... couldn't. You smile that lovely, gentle smile, and then, in a quiet voice, ask,

"Can I hold you again?" 

He couldn't say no.


	29. Pain.

Thursday, November 12th, 2:47 am

Pirate's Cove

"Wake up, Detectives!!" you were shaken violently awake, and bolted upright with a gasp, startled out of your skin. Nines had been holding you by both of your shoulders, but now that you were awake he was turned to Gavin. The way he shook the man was violent and panicked. 

"Nines? What's wrong, what-" Gavin snapped awake just like you had, but this time Nines' attention is turned to you and he doesn't react in time to stop Gavin's head from smacking into his. 

"Ah, fuck!" Gavin hisses, scrambling backwards and away from Nines as a hand flings up to rest on his head. "What the hell, Plastic Prick?" 

"Detectives, we have to go, we have to-" Nines cut himself off, his face contorting in pain, his LED going red and stuttering sporadically. He let out a pained hiss, and for the first time you spotted the dying fire reflect off of his streaming tears.

"Nines!" you scurry forwards, and place your hands on his shoulders to help him sit up straight again. "What the hell is going on? Are you okay? What happened?" Nines' synthetic breathing come in short gasps. 

"Fuck, Tin Can, you're serious about this? What happened?" he hurries forwards as well, wiping one of Nines' cheeks with his knuckles. Nines is trying to get words out, but whenever a sound starts it comes out in a gasp. "Hey, uh... breathe with me? You don't breathe- fuck-"

"They..." Nines wheezes out a word, and you lean in closer, a hand on his back rubbing in slow, soothing circles. "R u n." To accent that one, quiet word is a rattling scream, mechanical, buzzy with static and absolutely horrified. It's unmistakable who it belongs to- One of the Jerry's. 

"Fuck, we have to go!" you leap to your feat, grabbing three of the leftover packaged treats and cramming them into the pockets of your sweats. "Nines, can you walk?" you stoop over as you speak, and Nines nods, staggering to his feet. "Come on, Gav, let's go!" you snatch your gun from where it was sat beside your pillow as burning adrenaline starts to course painfully through your veins. 

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck-" Gavin leaps to his feet as well, removing his own gun from it's place underneath his. You were trying to fight back your panic, tears blinking into your eyes as Gavin takes the lead headed for the window the Jerry's had smashed in the night before. "Here, (Y/N) hold on." He slips off his jacket and lies it over the side, covering the little bits of jagged glass still left over. "Go!" he urges, and you swallow the lump in your throat, throwing yourself over the sill and back into the cold, your feet buried in a whole foot of snow. The snow has stopped falling. That's good. Gavin joins you, and then Nines, and then Gavin is slipping back into his jacket and you're all setting off again. Through the window you had stepped out into a sort of alleyway with a chain link fence to your right blocking you off from the main amusement park.

"How did they- how did they find us so fast? What do we do, we don't have a car and- and-" your voice begins to quiver, you're going to break down, but then Gavin is setting his hands on your face and staring right into your eyes. 

"(N/N), it doesn't matter. All we can do now is try to escape, okay? I'll keep you save, (Y/N), I swear it." his thumb skates briefly underneath your eye, brushing away the tear that had dropped. Then, he takes your hand in his and motions with his gun for Nines to stick close. Together, in a line, taking high steps to get through the snow, you skirted the side of the building, keeping low and to the shadows just like you had always been taught to do. 

"What's our plan of action?" your voice begins to steady out. A strange confidence trickles into your veins alongside your terror as Gavin leads the way with his head held high. "Evade these fuckers until they get bored? Fake our deaths? Make a run for it?" you speak more to keep the panic at bay, but forming a plan also wasn't the worst idea in the world. You reached the end of the cover provided by the tavern, and there was a thin open space before you could hide behind the next prize booth. Gavin doesn't answer just yet, peeking around the corner and giving a quick scan of his surroundings before giving your hand a gentle tug. The three of you make a mad sprint for the next stretch of cover, keeping your footsteps light and stopping to calm your fear on the other side. 

"I dunno. Can we make it out there without warmth, Nines?" the androids yellow LED blinks thrice, and then he hesitantly nods his head. Your shoes were filled with snow and you were getting a little cold again, but you knew that didn't matter as much as survival.

"Yes, yes I... I think so. We'll make it to the gas station at least." The gas station, right- from there you can call for help. This brings another thought to your mind. It isn't snowing anymore. Gavin voices your discovery before you get the chance to. 

"Wait, can't you call for help now?" Nines' LED blinks again, and you hear him mutter a curse under breath. The sound of the words 'fuck' leaving his mouth are odd, and everything feels even more unfamiliar. 

"No, no I- I don't think it was the snow..." Nines trails off, and the spinning light on his head goes red as more artificial pain grips him in it's deadly jaws. He slaps a hand over his mouth to stop any noise from escaping, and sinks slowly to his knees. "Shit..!" he forces the words out through gritted teeth. You drop to his side, glancing briefly around before letting your guard momentarily down and taking one of his hands in yours. 

"Nines, what's happening to you? Please, please, tell me why you're in so much pain?" the sight of him, usually so together, so stoic, made your heart thud quicker. You were afraid that you knew exactly what was going on, but you wouldn't admit that to yourself until he said it aloud and solidified the horrifying idea. "Nines, you have to trust us, okay?" she could see the clear fear in his ice blue eyes, and thought for a moment that you couldn't convince him to tell you. Gavin let out a string of swears and moved to sit in front of Nines, in plain view if someone were to come running your direction. 

"Nines, Tin Can, look here, look at me." Nines' eyes shifted from yours to Gavin's, his LED still red. You tried to steady your erratic breathing. You failed. "Tell us, Nines. It's okay, It's just us. We won't hurt you, okay? You can count on us, remember?" Gavin began to nod his head slowly, "Say it with me. You can count on us."

"I-I..." Nines tried to speak, but his voice died just like it had before. 

"You got this, buddy, come on. You can count on us."

"I c-can... I can c-count on y-you." Gavin smiles, and holds a hand out to you. Gently, you take it and he guides you to kneel at his side. You mirror his soft expression, the kindness of it, and Nines manages to wear his own that resembles yours to some minimal degree. "They... the deviants, they're trying to..." he winces again, but the pain seems to be smaller this time, "They're trying to get me to give us away. The mission, it just... it just says 'Betray' and the sight of it makes me want to scream, and-"

"Hey, that's okay Nines." you rest a hand on his knee. "Keep fighting it, I know you can do this, alright? You're strong, you're the terminator, aren't you?" you nod your head just like Gavin had, and this time Nines nods along with you. "Let's keep going, okay? We can keep going and you can keep fighting and we'll all be alright in the end." you stand, legs coated in snow now, and press back against the prize booth. You resume your conga line, Gavin, then Nines, then you, hands linked. Yours and Gavin's free hands still held your guns, ready to aim and fire at a moments notice. You reach another gap from one structure to the other, and slink across much slower yet quieter this time. You see the gate up ahead now, and are thankful that you hadn't gone into the park any further. "We're gonna make it!" you smile, but then watch Nines' shoulders tense up, LED blaring red. His hand wrapped around yours tightens, tightens, painful now. "Nines, stop!" you hiss out, but he doesn't. In fact, Nines freezes in his place, the hand on your tightening more and more and more. "Nines!! Gavin, help!" it's burning now, too tight, too tight. Gavin had been stopped when Nines halted, and now he turned to you, spotting you tugging frantically on your hand. "Nines! Nines, let go, please!" Crushing, crushing strength, android strength, killer strength-

"Nines! Tin Can, fuck off! Stop it!" Gavin slips his gun into his pocket as your clatters to the ground, your vision dimming lightly as you slap a hand over your mouth. You tug, you bite down on your hand, the pain is so intense, bone-crushing, he's going to break something if he doesn't stop. Gavin grabs his wrist and scratches at his finger. Nines' gaze is glued on nothing. His LED flickers, flickers, flickers, the pain, 

"Nines!!" your voice comes out loud, too loud, and then you scream even louder as a sickening crack rings out around you. Burning, shooting, agonizing pain splinters through every bone in your arm and you collapse to your knees as his hand lets go of yours. He jolts, resurfacing, and turns to you, horror spreading across his face. "Nines..." your voice is watery as you sob into your hand, the other one hugging tightly to your chest, so much pain. 

"Fuck, oh my god, (Y/N)-"

"What did I do-" both of your partners try to speak and none of them are successful as a new voice cuts in. This one, this voice, it's cruel and familiar and fucking horrifying. It's hopelessness and death and failure all wrapped into one. You don't even have to look over your shoulder to know who it is, but you do anyways and your heart still drops. Side by side by side are the three deviants who had promised to come back and kill yo. 

"Run!!" your gun is forgotten in the snow as you take Gavin's hand with your good one and Nines sets off at your side. Every step, every foot picked up and placed down in the mountain of snow sends shooting pains through all of your body. Already your hand was going purple, puffy, pain, fear, you're so afraid as the footsteps follow after you. 

"This way!" Nines bolts to the left, where the chain link fence has been kicked out. He ducks underneath the frame and lets you and Gavin pass by. "I'm sorry, (Y/N), I didn't-"

"No time!" your voice is strained. Fear. Terror. Pain. Nines' face contorts, and your heart plummets as he loses his feet from under him. He lets out a strangled cry, landing on his knees and hands. 

"Go!" he chokes out, and Gavin seems like he's about to keep running but you stop dead in your tracks.

"No! Nines, get up!" you shake off Gavin's hand and return to Nines, using both arms to haul him to his feet and wincing in the most intense pain you can remember feeling. "Move!" you curse, and Nines begins to stumble a little quicker. You return to a steady pace and almost think you might be okay, but the footsteps behind you reach a crescendo as all three of your pursuers speed up. 

"(Y/N), get behind me!" Gavin hurries towards you, slipping by, raising his gun, and emptying the chamber in the direction of the androids. You turn just in time to see three of them hit- but they all hit the tall, black-haired man and bounce right off of his advanced chassis. 

"Well that wasn't very nice." his tinny voice hisses out, but he never stops his sprinting and has more than enough time to pull back a fist and swing it for Gavin. You're amazed as he ducks out of the way and stumbles backwards, but that amazement is vanquished as he falls backwards and loses his footing. Nines breaks free from your grasp and sends himself barreling into the TG200.

"Wyatt!!" Maria calls as Nines sends him to the ground, raising up a fist to send it into his face. The pink-black haired deviant goes running forwards to help free the clear strongest of the group. 

"Stay the fuck away!" you spit, and run to meet her. You pull your good hand back and send it into her cheek, and are about to go in for another hit when the last android, the black-haired girl with the orange bangs, comes running your way. She catches your arm as it pulls back for another attack, and you stumble back into her, sending the both of you to the ground. Instinctively you jut out your arms to catch you, bit instantly regret it as your bad hand collides with the ground. You let out a scream, struggling to the side and watching Nines be pushed away by the deviant you had finally learned the name of- Wyatt. Gavin races into battle, gun raised after being reloaded, and fires a shot at the unnamed deviant girl. It sinks into her arm with a spatter of blue blood.

"Arizona?" Maria shouts- the last deviant is Arizona- in an unspoken question.

"I'm fine!" Arizona whips to face Gavin and you return to Maria. She sends a kick your way and it connects with your leg, discombobulating you long enough to ram her fist across your head. You see stars for a moment, and the stars intensify as she grips your broken fingers. You scream, your throat shredding, and tear your hand away. You have the briefest moment to scan around, and see that Gavin and Nines are both being forced backwards, away from you. You open your mouth to scream, to tell them to stick together, but Maria sends a foot out and into your ribs, winding you and knocking you even further backwards. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, the curses speed through your head. Her foot is sent out again, hitting your knee, then again, your ankle. Your foot comes right out from under you and you the ground hard. The deviant wears a wicked sneer as you scramble back to your feet, staggering as pain sears through you. Another kick, she isn't giving you time to recover. Every single time your feet are under you and you're trying to ready an attack in return, you're going down again. A punch across your face splits your cheek, another your lip, a third your nose. A kick to the stomach, stealing your breath again. The pain in your hand is so intense. Fuck, you only have one choice here. You can't fight back, you can't do it, you don't have the time, the reflexes, the strength. You're going to black out if you keep withstanding these hits and kicks and brutal punches. You have to run, with or without your partners. 

"Run, bitch. I dare you." Maria seems to have read your mind. Her attacks have stopped, but for how long? Is she giving you a chance to flee? A chance to toy with you more? Tears spill over, your teeth grit tightly, and you turn to look at your partners. Your adrenaline tripled tenfold. Nines was on the ground, scrambling away from Wyatt with blue blood soaking his hands, his face. Gavin is no better. A gash has opened up in his forehead, blood seeping down into his right eye, blinding that side of him. He turns to you, and your eyes meet. You have to run. 

I'm so fucking sorry, Gavin. I'm so sorry, we're going to die here. I didn't even get to say that I think I'm falling in love with you.

\-----

Gavin takes a punch to the stomach, watching you take a kick to your leg. He grits his teeth, swinging his gun and listening to the satisfying thunk of it connecting with an android chassis. 

"Fuck you!" Gavin spits, and his other fist flies forwards to hit this Arizona bitch square in the jaw. "You stupid cunt, terrorizing us!" he sends another fist forwards and it hits her in the temple. "Sick fuck!" He goes to punch her again, but this time she ducks away and dives to bury a fist just below his ribs. The breath is torn right out of him, and she ducks away again and slams a fist into his head with such force it sends him reeling, tumbling to the ground, his vision going dark. He staggers to his feet only to be throw down again by another vicious hit to the head.

"Yeah? Stupid, was I? How's this-" she sends a foot down into the small of his back, "For stupid?" she kicked him again, again, and she was going in for another one, a stomp to the side, when she froze in place, cursed under her breath, and staggered backwards a step. "Get up, assfuck!" she spits, and Gavin almost wants to stay laying there just to spite her, but he knows that he needs to escape and standing up is the first step to do that. He stumbles back and forth, fighting for his balance. Arizona is a few feet away, just within hitting distance, but his head is starting to spin and he isn't certain he can land a hit on her, especially not a shot. He turns to look at you as the worst thought possible passes over his mind. He has to run before he's killed here. Sitting here and getting his face beaten in won't do anything. He has to run- he has to run to you, to save you, even if it means dying so you can just have a chance. He looks to you, and your eyes meet his. Even from a distance he can see the promise held within them. He knows now that if he runs, you will run too. 

Fuck, (Y/N). Fuck, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I love you. Please don't die on me.

\-----

The two of you turn on your heels in unison. It felt horrible to admit defeat, but you had to. You cast one last glance at Nines, seeing the blue blood stain the snow beneath him, registering the wounds staining his stupid tacky shirt, watching him glance at you, then Gavin, turn on his heel, and then all three of you just run. Gavin sprints straight down the street. Nines does the same in the opposite direction. You find yourself taking a hard left down a side road, breezing past a figure, a Jerry, frozen in time and fastening your good hand around your bad wrist as it throbs with every panicked step. There's a huge pirate ship to your right that swing back and forth over an open body of water. You run alongside the railing bordering the once-amazing attraction and feel the tears running down your face. You hear Maria behind you, matching you step for step, but it seems like you are somehow keeping ahead. You have to lose her before your breath catches in your lungs, before you can't run anymore. You pass the pirate ship, and then take a left towards a chain fence barricading the small gap between a prize booth and a gift shop. You don't look over your shoulder, instead bracing yourself for the pain you know is to come, and throw yourself towards the fence. Curling your working fingers into the loops you haul yourself upwards, terrified, vaulting over the top, losing your footing, and crashing into the snow drift on the other side. Through the adrenaline that rises the pain in your body begins to dull, replaced by only one thing; horror. You don't even feel the cold.

"Get back here, piece of shit!" Maria crashes into the fence behind you, glaring through it. You regather yourself, take a deep breath, and continue on running, trying to take the most confusing path possible, even if it means you getting lost. A left, a right, another right, twists and turns, ducking under objects, into booths, all hearing those footsteps behind you- until, as you find yourself near a prize booth, the footsteps stop. You slink into the booth, underneath the counter, hugging your knees to your chest. The adrenaline pumps, your heartbeat resonating through your entire body. Not a sound other than your breathing. You wait for what seems like forever, ears straining, heart beating, blood rushing, until you finally deem it safe enough to breathe, to feel the pain, to feel the terror. You don't know how, but you think you lost her. You think you lost your killer, at least for now, long enough to recover, long enough to make a plan. Before you get your head on straight you really need to cry. You bury your face in your knees, shedding silent tears, scared tears, hopeless tears, praying for Gavin, praying for Nines.

Fuck, you guys. Fuck, please hide, please live, please please please please please-

\-----

His thirium pump stutters in his chest, one hand leaning on the wooden wall of something, supporting his weight as he struggles, struggles to continue. The pain, it's treacherous, unlike anything he's ever felt. He's never known pain before, but now, this coding, it's simulating the pain to such a degree that he can hardly control his limbs. A timer, red and blinking just like his LED is all that he can make out, though just like the orders it's not really there. He can't see it, but he can feel the thirium leaving him, feel his components slowing, feel his shutdown drawing nearer. And through it all, he can still hear the slow, teasing footsteps of his pursuer. Snow crunching under boots, a calm whistling, the flicking of a butterfly knife. Taunting. Tauntingly slow, just like him. One foot, then the next, one foot, then the next. He is so afraid. He doesn't want to shut down. Not when you and Gavin need him. Not when he needs you and Gavin. One foot, then the next, one foot- his other foot fails to move in time. His hand slips from the wall as his pump regulator sputters for life. Crash, into the snow, more pain, unimaginable pain, fake pain but pain all the same. Half darkness, one eye, pain. And then, a shadow. A silhouette, the moon ringing their head like a halo. Jericho's Salvation- the beast kneels down, tilting his head. The light hits his face in a way where only his eyes are lit up. One green, and the other blue- the other his eye, Nines' eye, stolen. 

"Y'know," the man, the monster, the monster he can't remember the name of speaks in that crackling static voice, the thirium veins beneath his eyes giving off a faint glow, "You really are one hell of an android. 'S a good thing you were stupid enough for that interface, all those days ago..." the butterfly knife spins, clicks shut, spins, clicks shut, and endless taunt. He could kill Nines right now and he doesn't. "I'd hate to have to waste you, and I'm pretty happy we get to have some fun now." Confusion, fear, pain. "I think it's time," a dark chuckle, "Don't you?"

Pain.

And then black.


	30. Run, Gavin.

Thursday, November 12th, 3:33 am

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Nines' eyes whipped open. There was no snow around him- no darkness, no blood. The pain was gone, too, and for a moment he was convinced that everything had just been a dream- or rather a nightmare. But as he took in his surroundings, the greens, the flowers scattered about, an arching red bridge and a well-kept gazebo, he knew he was not in any real world. His thirium seemed to turn to ice in his veins, an overwhelming sense of dread settling itself on his shoulders. 

"A-Amanda?" he called out, the sound of his voice too loud for the eerie silence that had settled. "Amanda, are you here?" Nines set off at a hurried pace. Swallowing down his fear, he hurried for the bridge, crossing the calm, bubbling brook beneath his feet in search of the figure he'd always seen as a sort of surrogate mother despite her only being an AI. He could always... sense her presence, sense where she was in that same way where it was like he could see her but couldn't exactly, though now that sense was null and void. The place felt empty, disturbingly deserted. "Amanda!" his voice raised and began to tremble as he continued on through the paths that wound around his mind palace, disregarding the flowers that he had always stopped to admire, though now he didn't have the time. "Amanda!!" 

"Amanda isn't here." Nines' synthetic breath caught in his throat and he whipped to face the source of that familiar voice. For a moment Nines thought he was seeing Gavin, but the voice he had just heard didn't quite fit the detective. Instead, here stood Gavin's older brother, his hands folded neatly behind him, a cold look in his eyes. 

"K-Kamski? Kamski, what-"

"It's so pleasant of you to finally arrive, RK900. I was anticipated to meet you." Kamski set forwards, his gaze still glued to Nines' blue eye, never blinking once. "You sure took your time getting here."

"Why am I... Where's Amanda? What are you doing here?" Nines set his shoulders, tried to seem intimidating, tall. Kamski didn't even do so much as flinch underneath the androids searing gaze, and instead he seemed sort of amused. A half-smile twitched onto his face, and he tilted his head. Everything felt so off.

"I'm afraid Amanda won't be here anymore. She was... defective- I'll be taking her place indefinitely."

"No, no, defective? She wasn't- she wasn't defective!" Nines took a startled step backwards at the sudden... malice that bloomed into Kamski's dark gaze, overtaking his grey eyes like blood in water. "You... you killed her, didn't you? You... you killed Amanda!" Kamski grins. 

"You can't kill what isn't alive, RK900." the terror in Nines' heart is almost immediately substituted for a burning rage. He feels tears springing in his one eye, and he lets a scream shred his vocals as he dives forwards. It's filled with rage, with grief, with every emotion he never wanted to admit he could feel. He pulled a fist back and swung it right forwards, only for the artificial pain to hit him with everything it's got as his hand connects with an endless wall of crackling red. Nines doesn't want to believe it. He punches again, then throws the weight of his entire body against the restriction, the barrier that he hadn't seen in too long. He wasn't deviant, but he was free, and he'd never had restrictions like these. He felt helpless as text bugged across his vision. 

Obey. Obey. Obey. 

That was his only order- obey. 

"Get out of my head!" Nines is breaking down, there are too many feelings, too much pain. Kamski just watches until he tires, hands pressed against the red, the code. He falls to his knees, and stares down at his hands. His crying stops abruptly and the red wall fades as he spots the glitching on the tips of his fingers. "What... what's happening to me?" Now, Kamski chuckles, and lowers to Nines' level. He extends a hand, setting it on Nines' shoulder, and stares into the depths of his soul. The smile the man wore was everything but sympathetic.

"You're being erased, RK900."

\-----

The adrenaline had faded, making way for the pain in your face, your legs, torso, everything- especially your hand. Your pointer and middle fingers were nearly black, and your entire dominant hand was deemed useless. You had noticed the lightness on your hip and, for the first time, realized that you didn't have your gun. One-handed, cold, unarmed, you were virtually defenseless against three bloodthirsty deviants determined to steal your life away. You had wandered back to the tavern, praying that maybe Gavin or Nines had lost their pursuers and done the same, but it was empty. You had stopped just in front of the front door, almost letting out a cry at the sight presented to you. It was one of the lovely Jerry's who had taken care of you despite you being a human. His thirium pump had been torn right out through his chest cavity, and his pump regulator had been smashed to pieces just beside him. You didn't know what happened to the other five, but you knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good- and it would be your fault entirely. Your hopes to have found Gavin or Nines were dashed as soon as you set foot inside the tavern. It had been untouched since you'd left. 

"Fuck, Gav... Nines..." you felt tears rising to your face again but fought them away. You couldn't cry right now, you didn't have the time. You needed to do something smart, and decided that searching for your gun, your best chance of survival, was the first thing to do. If you had it, maybe the gods above could bless your bullet, make it hit something vital in one of these monsters chasing after you. You walk slowly to the window, your heart in your throat, and swing a leg over. Your skin is pricked through your sweatpants by the broken glass, and that only adds to the pain biting through you, but you persevere and hop into the snow on the other side. Your feet bury into it yet again, and you're reminded of how cold your poor toes are. At least it's warmed enough for you not to freeze to death. You repeated your tracks just the same as before, making almost no noise despite the stiffness rapidly making it's way into your tired body. You thought of how nice it would be to sleep in your bed, a full nights rest with no fearing for your life the next morning. That thought was made nicer when you imagined Gavin was laying beside you. 

You push on forwards, desperate and scared, jumping at every little noise you heard and awaiting the moment you could hold your gun in your hand again, even if it was your non dominant one. You passed a large space of disturbance, where Nines had collapsed. You hurry past the open space between that structure and the next, and there it is. Your gun. You're so relieved as you pick it up, the metal icy cold, the weight familiar. You press it to your chest, eyes falling shut as you try to stop the tidal wave of emotions threatening to drown you. It's funny, in a sick way, that this is your life now. You're cowering the snow in the middle of bumfuck nowhere when just two months ago you were pushing pencils and cracking the case of the missing android maid like some middle-aged Nancy Drew. You just need to sit here for a moment, regather yourself, get your head on straight again. It's so tempting to let your guard fall now that you have a gun in your hand once more, but you keep your ears strained for even the tiniest bit of movement. A minute passes when you finally decide it's time to get moving again, a loose plan forming itself in your head, just enough to hopefully provide the skeleton of a train to safety. 

"Creep around. Find Gavin. Find Nines. Shoot these fuckers." you repeat that manifesto in your head, and it seems to calm your nerves, bring you back a tiny sense of control. The next question that arises is one you don't really know how to answer; where to first? You decide to creep to the gate, maybe catch one of your partners trying to escape, and then you can loop around and make a quick escape if worst comes to worst. You keep your gun readied, leaping out into the open whenever there was a gap between one structure and the next, pointing it in the direction of the road in case you caught an unsuspecting deviant- and also to practice your aim. As you had guessed, it was rather poor with this hand, but you had to make do. From one booth to the next, your confidence only grows. Sadly, the thing about an inflating ego is that it convinces you to lower your guard. When you leap around a corner, practicing your quick-draw once again, you almost scream, tensing up, your trigger finger going stiff. Thank god you recognize this person as Nines rather than one of the deviants, because you would be dead in an instant. "Nines!" you grin, lowering your fun and racing forwards to wrap him in a tight hug. 

"Oh!" he seems surprised by your actions, your arms holding him tight, but he returns the embrace with a pat to your back, letting you pull away. His LED goes yellow as he takes in the view of your face, and you guess that it's because he's taking in the damage. "Detective (L/N), I'm glad to know you're alright." he tilts his head, and his lips twitch up in an awkward smile, more like a sneer in your opinion. You don't blame him for not being able to smile like you were. He was probably terrified. "Have you seen Detective Reed? Is he with you?"

"No, I still haven't found him. Are you hurt?" you take a step towards him, peering up at the blue blood dripping down his face, and he shakes his head. "Good." a sigh of relief escapes you, and you step backwards again. 

"I have to find Detective Reed." Nines' face stays flat as he speaks. "You have your firearm? Are you able to use it?" his ice blue gaze flickers to your left hand, awkwardly holding the gun. It was clear that you had no clue what you were doing, and you shrug your shoulders. 

"More or less, but my aim'll be shit. Maybe you should-"

"Yes, yes I think that's a good idea." he cuts you off, extending a hand before you can even finish. Chuckling awkwardly, you place the gun in his hand and he quickly checks it over, scanning how many bullets are inside, if it's damaged, stuff like that. "Let's go. Where do you think Detective Reed will be?" Nines sets off at once, directly out towards the street. You're about to call to him, to tell him to stop, but you bite your tongue. You're certain he knows what he's doing. If he managed to outrun Wyatt, that bastard, then you're sure he knows what's going on. 

"I'm not sure. I already checked the tavern, and he's not going to be on the east side of the park. He ran this way." you point north, the direction he had been chased by Arizona. Nines nods, and with even strides, heads off where you had pointed. He walks quick, with purpose, and you almost have to jog to keep up with him. You feel so exposed out here, so vulnerable. So easy to see. "Are you sure we shouldn't be hiding?" You finally voice your concerns, almost after a full minute, and Nines doesn't even look at you as he replies.

"I have to find Detective Reed." that's all he says. Uncertainty grows through you, interlacing with the anxiety and pain already there and creating a horrible tangle of thorns that lodges in your throat and stops you from saying anything further. Another agonizing minute of feeling like every shadow around you was dangerous dragged by, and then a second, third, fourth- no sign of Gavin as you wound your way through the park, Nines doing nothing but quick checks in stalls and booths and through windows in buildings. You were about to suggest searching these places more thoroughly when Nines turned to the door that led into some random tourist attraction. Your brows furrow, and though you're curious as to why this is the only place he's bothering to check the inside of, you simply follow suit. It's dark inside, weak light filtering in through the holes in the ceiling, rotted wood everywhere you look. The place was picked clean, no sign of what it once was, and as the door clicked shut behind you your doubts began to soar.

"Nines? What are we doing in here?" of every place to further investigate, this was not the one you would have chosen. It was nearly empty, save for a little counter, but Gavin would have leaped from that hiding place the moment he heard your voice. You crane your neck to stare up at the ceiling, shuddering at the image of it crashing down on top of you. Your heart was up in your throat, but your panic only reached it's very highest point when your gaze flicked back to Nines as he whipped the pistol in your direction. Every single one of your doubts crashed into you so quickly that you could hardly manage more than a strangled scream. Pain splintered through your temple, and then you hit the ground, having just enough consciousness to twist so your shoulder took the brunt of the impact rather than your damaged hand. 

"I'm... I'm so sorry." Nines' broken voice wheezed out, quiet, pained, and at once you knew that this wasn't him. You had just willingly given your firearm- and the general direction of Gavin's location- to the deviants themselves. As if to make matters worse, the door you had entered through was pushed open once more. Before your vision went entirely black, you made out the silhouette of who could only be Gavin, and heard Nines' final words before he lost complete control. "Run, Gavin." 

"Oh my god... Oh my god (Y/N)," Gavin was in despair. He saw you, blood gushing from your temple, and he saw Nines, his face- it's face blank, eye cold, gun in hand, struggling not to shoot him directly in the heart. "I'll come back, (N/N)!" Gavin stumbled a step backwards, left no other choice. "I swear to fucking god, I'll save you! I'll save you, I promise you that!" and, your consciousness ran away from you just as Gavin did the same.


	31. Hope

Thursday, November 12th, 4:00 am

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"No! No, (Y/N), Gavin- No!" Nines could sense what he was doing. His body was moving on its own, he could feel it, and he could see it in the smile on Kamski's face. That grin was wicked, ruthless, evil, it chilled Nines down to his very thirium pump. He wasn't in control of his body anymore, no matter how hard he fought to stop it. He had been cut off from the real world entirely, forced to watch as a beast hurts you and Gavin using his shell as a guise. "Stop, why- why can't I stop?" Nines was on his knees, shaking, crying synthetic tears. The pain was still there, weaker now, a dull throbbing in all of his body, there just enough to remind him that he was not in control, that he was hurting you and Gavin, that he was a monster. 

"You see, RK900," Nines flinched at the name, his model number, not Nines like you and Gavin called him, "You're slowly losing control. As you slip out of existence, I take the place of your previous AI." 

"Who are you? You're not Kamski! Kamski would never- He would never let this happen!" Nines moved to stand, but Kamski placed his hand on his shoulder, keeping him down. He was still smiling, his ice blue eyes piercing into Nines'. 

"I'm an AI, just like Amanda, though... I'm more of a virus rather than a program." with a gentle pat to Nines' shoulder, his hand leaves it, folding in front of him just like the real Elijah had done. "These TG deviants planted me inside of your mind through the aid of that WR600 android back in.... oh, was it a woman named Amelia?" The... the android that Nines had shot. He had interfaced, and, and the fear that he'd felt, the oddness of it all, it had been this virus crawling into his systems, festering in the back of his mind until the right moment. "Yes, you were quite foolish to try and probe its memory." 

"But... but my software, it deflects viruses, you shouldn't have been able to get past Amanda!" Nines finally struggled to his feet, the pain intensifying as he does so. "You..." he trailed off as a fresh flood of tears poured down his face. "How long am I going to be stuck here?" Nines stared down at his hands, the glitch reaching halfway down the tips of his fingers. Kamski let out a low, villainous chuckle. 

"Indefinitely." 

\-----

"Oh my god... Oh my god (Y/N)," Gavin was in despair. He saw you, blood gushing from your temple, and he saw Nines, his face- it's face blank, eye cold, gun in hand, struggling not to shoot him directly in the heart. "I'll come back, (N/N)!" Gavin stumbled a step backwards, left no other choice. "I swear to fucking god, I'll save you! I'll save you, I promise you that!" and, your consciousness ran away from you just as Gavin did the same. 

The guilt that Gavin felt was stronger than anything else he's ever known. It tore through his stomach and chest, pushed tears from his eyes, and the only reason he was still running was because of the suffocating adrenaline. He had seen the three other deviants, your captors, hidden in the darkness. The coldness of their gazes was even worse than that of the android Gavin had once considered a friend, and the blue-green eyes of the one known as Wyatt sent a shudder down his spine. He didn't want to leave you, fuck, he didn't, but he knew that he had only been provided with two choices- die with you, or run, and maybe, just maybe save you too. His lungs burned and he was hardly halfway to the gate, but he ignored the pain, so scared that the deviants were after him. He couldn't let himself get caught too, he was your only hope. Only when he was panting, his vision spotty with lack of air, did he allow himself to slow. The sudden stop almost pulled his feet from under him, and he doubled over onto his knees, coughs ripping from his chest alongside the tears.

Breath was hard to come by. The fear and the adrenaline, the running, the crying- it was all too much, but he couldn't let it stop him from saving you before it was too late. He forced himself to his feet and set off at a much steadier pace, going as fast as his body would allow. The gates, he could see them now, as well as the faintest lightening on the horizon. It would be warming soon. He didn't know where to go but he knew Nines had said there was a gas station nearby. That seemed to be the best bet for help, maybe he could get in touch with the police, or Hank. Tunnel vision engulfed him, and all he saw was the gate, getting closer and closer and closer. He was mere feet from crossing the threshold when something exploded into his path, ripping a breathless scream from his throat and sending him pedaling backwards and to the ground. He sends a silent prayer that he'd been running so fast, because if he didn't his scream would have been heard, and for what? The figure who had jumped out in front of his was a Jerry, thirium dripping from his nose. 

"Mister- Gavin, correct? Oh, thank goodness you're alright! There are androids here, androids trying to hurt us- they killed us, they-"

"Lower your voice!" Gavin wheezed to cut him off, taking a moment to catch his escaping breath and then hurrying to his feet. "Get out of here while you still can, I need to call for help! Nines told me there was a gas station nearby- I need to go there, I have to start running now or (Y/N) will die!" The Jerry tilted his head, and then shook it.

"No, you don't have a car? You can't run that far, it will take ages!" Jerry grabbed Gavin by the wrist and tried to drag him to the left of the gate but he ripped his hand free.

"No, my car's broken, it's the only choice I have!" Gavin was tearing up again. Despite it all, Jerry still had an optimistic brightness to his eyes. He seriously hoped that he could get out of this alive. 

"I can fix it! I was installed with repair programs- where is it?" Gavin's hope rekindled, just slightly, and he tried to stomp it out. Hope was bad. Hope distracted him. Hope made him stupid, but he set off in a mad sprint back towards his car. His lungs still ached and he didn't give a shit. He had to save you, fix this stupid piece of shit car as quickly as possible. Jerry spotted the car just as Gavin was slowing down, so the android broke forwards and made it to the car first, popping open the hood and examining the pieces. "You said it was broken? That it wouldn't run?" Gavin slowed to a halt at Jerry's side, panting yet again, resting his hands on his knees and fighting for breath. 

"Y-Yeah- he... he said that-" Gavin had to cut himself off, gasping in a breath that burned his insides, "He said somethin' about the fuckin'... fuel injector?" Gavin finally managed to get the words out, and then began to tap his foot impatiently, catching his lip between his teeth and worrying the already-split skin. 

"the fuel injector is fine- the only problem is the air filter, and that can just be cleaned like this," Jerry pulled on a piece of metal and out came a rectangle, filled with layers of dust and grit. Jerry did nothing more than run his hand over it and slip the filter back in. Gavin's heart squeezed inside of his chest as he realized that Nines had had this planned, to some degree, all along. 

"Woah, what?" Gavin grit his teeth, and saw that Jerry was about to leap into an explanation, quickly cutting him off. "Is that all?"

"You should still take you car to a mechanic, but-"

"Will it drive?" he grips Jerry by the shirt with his bloodied hands, and almost timidly, he nods in return. "Good. I have to go." Gavin lets him drop again and slams the car hood shut. He rounded to the passenger door, pulling it open before looking at the Jerry standing, alone, in front of him. He let out a huff. "Get in." Jerry didn't have to be told twice, and ran for the passenger seat. He hardly had the door shut as Gavin slammed the keys into the ignition and pounded on the gas, gunning it down the road. "You got a cellphone in your head or something? Can you call police?" 

"Yes, I can-"

"Good, do it." Gavin was tired but the tidal wave of emotions provided just enough fuel to keep him going. He spoke to the Jerry so quickly he hardly knew what he was saying, and hoped that it was coherent enough to communicate the plan he was forming. He gave Hank's phone number, demanding both he and the nearest officers were called to the park, and then he hurried out some other details along with an address to the one place he knew to search for help. Jesus, he didn't know if this plan would work, but it was the best one he had and he just had to hope that it did- there's that word again, hope. Such a joke. All that there was is trying and not trying, and that was it. Hope was just a construct, but fuck if it wasn't the most tempting thing to believe in. The world around him began to blur together as he sped in the direction of his only hope. 

\-----

Your head hurt. Fuck, it hurt so bad. You felt like you were floating, floating in the center of a raging, screaming ocean in the midst of a storm. Everything was far away, dark, painful, and the undeniable taste of blood lingered in the back of your throat. The whole world shifted and jostled, the burning in your hand still as intense as ever. You felt like you wanted to throw up, but your rumbling stomach told you that it would be more painful than you could bear. You finally fought to peel open your eyelids, only managing to open one. All you see is white- no, more like a pale grey, snow under the light of a slowly rising sun, and the footsteps of four people trailing behind you. You can see Pirate's Cove, the shell of the Ferris wheel once standing tall, now hardly a speck in the distance. They were taking you away from there, away from the last place you had seen Gavin. 

"No..." your words hardly leave your lips, a breath and nothing more. You see blood drip from your lips, and add that to your list of sights- red trails behind you, speckles here and there, disturbing amounts of it. You lift a hand, shaking so severely, to skim across your temple. It comes back with that same burning scarlet colour, and for some reason that doesn't alarm you. Your head is too foggy to register just how serious your wounds really are. 

"So what's the plan again?" a faint voice that you can't quite place tickles your ears. It's so quiet, so distant. You're slung over a shoulder clad in black and white. The fabric is soft, familiar. Footsteps crunch in snow, and your head swims. The ocean in your brain continues to toss you around, swirling you closer and closer to the blackness, the forgiveness of unconsciousness. 

"Bring her to that place, hang around a little." Another voice, masculine. It sounds crackly, and almost makes you smile. Such an odd sound to come out of someones mouth, you think. You feel a little bit giddy and guess its the blood loss. The thought of losing blood passes through your brain in an instant, and you don't seem to care. "Patch her wounds up just enough to keep her going, and then... wait." 

"Just... wait?" a third voice. So many voices. The waves crashing in your head sound like bells- sleigh bells, maybe. Christmas is close, isn't it? What day is it today? You can't wait for Christmas, especially Christmas with Gavin. The smile finally takes over your face, and you let out a delirious, breathy chuckle. 

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"It's still obligatory to exterminate the final Detective, is it not?" woah, your heart slows for a moment at the burning familiarity of that voice. It sounds just like the crashing of the waves- you realize now that the waves seem to be saying something to you, something like... Run, Gavin. Gavin? You know Gavin. Your mind returns to the thought of Gavin and Christmas and happiness and smiles. "Detective (L/N) is... bait, you could say. Extraordinary bait."

"And what makes you think this other guy is going to come back for her?" The ocean-voiced man chuckles like the sound of water or rain or thunder. 

"He will come back. He... He is very fond of Detective (L/N). I assure you, he will come for her, and he will die trying. Detective Reed doesn't stand a chance." The waves spits you back out into clarity. That name- Detective Reed, that's Gavin. They're going to kill Gavin, they're going to kill you. You're bleeding, bleeding bad- you're losing blood. You're delirious. You're going to be murdered after all of your fighting to stay alive. 

"No..." you find your voice this time, and also the strength to struggle lightly. "No, no, don't-" along with clarity comes fear, and with fear, adrenaline. You an off of adrenaline now. It seemed to be your main source of energy, and you were thankful for it as it gave you the strength to kick and flail and struggle for freedom. "No, no don't kill him- Don't kill me, don't kill him!" Your voice raised, and now you were screaming despite the pain through all of you. The burning in your hand was intense but you still hit the sturdy shoulder of who you now knew to be Nines. "Let me go! Let me go!" You flail, you kick, you scream, but Nines seems entirely unphased. 

"Jesus, shut the hell up!" a hand slaps across your head, forcing more blood from your lips. You don't stop despite the request, the abuse, and you keep flailing, kicking, screaming. 

"Let me go! Let me go!" Again and again you hiss and kick, and a deep sigh comes from just in front of you.

"Obnoxious piece of shit! Drop her, RK900!" this is the static voice, Wyatt. His order is immediately obeyed as the arm curled around your waist unfurls, rolling you right off and into the snow with zero care. You thump into the snow, landing on your broken hand and let out a scream, blood staining the space around you. "Can't you just keep your damn mouth closed?" his looming stature blocks out the moon, and his piercing eyes, one blue, Nines' eye, one green, stare back down at you. 

"Let me go, you worthless fucking bitch!" You don't know where the strength comes from, but you find yourself lurching to your feet and moving to throw a fist in Wyatt's direction. The deviant doesn't even flinch, and before it can connect, Nines' hand catches your wrist. In a single swift motion he bends your arm around and slams you back down into the snow, knee digging into your spine. 

"Just knock her out again. Fuck, I can't listen to that squawking."

"No, no I'm sorry please, please don't-" no one even pauses to listen to your begging as Nines lifts a hand and slams it expertly into your neck. Everything goes black in an instant.


	32. Register Your Mission

Thursday, November 12th, 5:43 am

#$%!&$#&@#

The tears had stopped. Nines felt numb now, leaned against the railing of the bridge, staring down at his hands. The glitch was crawling, further and further, a little bit at a time down his arms. It had reached down to his wrists now, flickering, transparent, like he was turning into a hologram. The sky overhead, once so bright, so blue, so beautiful, was also growing grey, and the flowers seemed to have lost just a bit of their colour. The world around Nines was falling apart, only to soon be put back together again by another AI, this demon, the false Kamski. Nines had so many questions but didn't see the worth in asking any of them. He felt utterly helpless, sensing you so close yet so far. He knew you were injured, dying, maybe, and he also knew that the shell of him was carrying your unconscious body wherever the deviants wanted him to go. He felt machine again, like he did the second he was woken up just after the revolution. The coldness, the feeling of seeing the things around him but not really seeing them, the sense of tethers binding him to a programming that told him to destroy. It was painful being back there again. 

"I thought you had a little more fight in you. It's disappointing, if I'm being completely honest." Kamski's voice sounded so real, so alive- but then again, so did Amanda's before she was murdered or erased or whatever the term is for an artificial intelligence, "I was warned you may be difficult to subdue." Kamski stepped up to Nines' side, leaning against the bridge railing just as he was. His cold, malevolent gaze studied the way the water flowed around the pebbles of the stream just below. It almost looked to be moving quicker, more chaotic. "Not that I'm exactly complaining about that. The less work for me, the better." 

"What... what's going to happen to the garden?" it was one of the sillier questions on Nines' mind, but the only one he could find the words to voice. Everything else... frightened him, which sounded ridiculous to his own ears. He wasn't supposed to be frightened, he was supposed to be the terminator, yet here he was, useless, crying, afraid. This garden had given him sanctuary, and he held it dear to his heart. Kamski showed very little interest in the topic, and even less pity. He shrugged his shoulders, craning his neck to glance around at the marvel that Nines had created for himself. 

"I can't do anything about it until you've been erased, since it's linked to you. It should decay alongside you, breaking down as you do the same. Once you have been erased I'll resume control." he tapped his fingers on the sleek red wood, something Nines had noticed Gavin doing in the past. It made sense that Elijah would do it too, but it still made Nines shiver seeing this virus version of the former CEO doing something so shockingly familiar. 

"You can't control it now?" Nines finally forced his head to turn, watching Kamski continue to trail his eyes along the greenery, the fading flora, the racing river. He chuckles, and shakes his head. 

"Right now I'm essentially an... invasive species, if you will." his blue eyes finally stopped, resting at last and boring right into those of Nines. "I can't control anything here until the former host of the software has been completely replaced. Since I disposed of your former backup AI, I'll be taking it's place." Nines nods his head and his gaze falls once more. He was painfully reminded of the absence of Amanda in his mind palace. It felt empty without her. Unsafe. "But," Kamski hums, "When the time comes, I'll enjoy myself. I recommend that until then, you try to do the same." 

\-----

"We're ten minutes away," Jerry chimed from the seat beside Gavin, who only let out a sigh in response. 

"You don't have to update me every five fuckin' minutes, I know where we are." Gavin was too irritated for the seemingly endless optimism radiating from the android at his side. That stupid grin never faltered despite the dire situation, and every single time Gavin was deepening towards a breakdown, eyes going glassy, breathing growing harsh, Jerry was there with those bright eyes and those stupid motivational phrases.

It's okay, we'll save the day!

If anyone can do this, it's you!

I believe in us, Gavin!

Gavin had the gas pedal pressed to the floor, and though he felt bad, knowing it couldn't be good for the car, he could really care less. A quick phone call to Hank and the police station had proved to be at least mildly helpful. Rescue was on the way, slow and steady as the special forces prepared to do this all right this time. It seems they were determined not to let the deviants get away, which, much to both Gavin's and your dismay, meant they would be taking longer to get their shit together. He knew he would be quicker than them, if all went according to plan, but he felt like he could move heaven and hell right now. No deviant fucker would ever dare mess with him. 

"We are five minutes-"

"I know Tin Can! Shut the fuck up, I can count!" Gavin barked out the words a little too harsh, and for the first time the smile on Jerry's face faltered ever so slightly. He let out a huff, and was about to apologize when he held his mouth shut tight. He didn't have anything to apologize for, not right now at least. He knew exactly where he was. The treeline was familiar to him, at least familiar enough to document the passing of time as it dragged by. He could see the break in the trees up ahead now. He was almost at his destination. The landscape scraped by at an agonizing pace despite how fast the car was going, and the end of the forest couldn't come fast enough. When it finally did, and he broke out into the clearing by the lake, he let out a gasping breath he hadn't known he was holding and slammed on the breaks, rocking forwards in his seat as the truck came to a grinding halt. 

"Should I come-"

"No, stay here." Gavin pulled the keys from the ignition and reached for the door handle, letting out yet another sigh and hissing out an additional, "Please." Jerry smiled again at the sound of the courtesy, and nodded his head as Gavin ripped open the door. "I shouldn't be long." he slammed the door shut again and went running for the door. Running seemed to be his custom now, and he wondered how it would feel to be able to walk for once. Now wasn't the time to see what that was like, though, so he continued on running up the path over frozen water, to the heavy front door of his only hope. He raised a fist after jamming his keys into his pocket, and then, while the other hand went and pressed on the doorbell, he started banging it noisily against the door. "Eli!!!" He shouted, finger still on the bell, fist still pounding against the door, "Elijah, open the fuck up!!" Bang, bang, bang, bang, he doesn't stop knocking even as he hears the locks on the door disengage at last. The second the door is being peeled open, he pushes right forwards as Chloe begins to speak. 

"I'm sorry, Elijah is-" 

"Out of my way, Chloe." Gavin feels bad for treating her poorly, but just like with Jerry, he can't apologize now. Chloe hurries after him, reaching out a hand to catch his arm as she tries to stop him in his tracks. 

"I'm sorry, Gavin, Elijah is needing to sleep-"

"Not right now, this is an emergency!" Gavin rips his arm free and doesn't look in her direction. He goes to the door on the right of that stupid, towering portrait, pushing through it and into the room with the too-big pool and the gargantuan window overlooking the lake. An immediate right brings him to another door, which leads to the kitchen and living room where he had been exactly two weeks before. From there, he makes a beeline for the door in the far left corner that leads to Elijah's pompous master bedroom. The moment he steps inside, he flicks the lights on. "Elijah! Get up!" As he does so, Elijah rockets forwards, his silk blankets shifting with him as his irritated gaze flickers to Gavin. The moment he registers his brother, beaten, bruised, exhausted, he's rocketing to his feet and stumbling across the room. 

"Gavin? Gavin, what are you- I thought you were hiding from-" Elijah is cut off as Gavin closes the distance, wrapping his arms around Elijah's torso and burying his face into his shirt. "No, no Gavvy, what happened? Where's (Y/N) and-"

"The deviants!!" Gavin pulls away, his bruised face contorted into an expression of absolute agony, "They, they're controlling Nines, put some sort of virus into his head that's- that's making him all batshit insane and robotic again! We were- hiding in some place, and abandoned amusement park because the car broke down- or a-at least Nines said it was broken down but it was o-okay and he knocked out (Y/N) and they're going to kill her!" Gavin sucked in gasping breaths as he finished forcing out his rapid explanation. The grand majority of his words sailed right over Elijah's head, but he had heard enough to know something horrible was going on. He pulled Gavin back into his arms. 

"Gavvy, I'm so sorry. I'm glad you made it out, and I'm so sorry you lost them." Gavin stiffened in Elijah's grip. This time, when Gavin pushed him away it was more forceful, more angry than it was desperate like moments before. Outrage was scrawled along his face, and then his brows furrowed and anger bloomed within his gaze, setting the grey ablaze like charcoal. 

"What?" he seethed through gritted teeth. Elijah's gaze softened further, and he placed a hand on his brothers shoulder. 

"I can't imagine how much they may have meant to you, Gav. I'm sorry they're gone." 

"You. Fucking. Cunt!!" Gavin surged forwards and pounded his fists into Elijah's chest, shoving him a few steps backwards. "You asshat!" Another punch.  
"Gavin!!" Chloe races forwards to intervene, and without thinking Gavin spins on his heel and throws his fist across her face. The force of it sends her backwards and into the wall. 

"Chloe!!" pushing past Gavin, Elijah races to his surrogate sister's side. Gavin is dumbfounded by what he's done. He didn't want to hurt her, he didn't mean to, it had just happened. The world was collapsing in on its self all around him, and he wasn't thinking clearly, though he was still disgusted with the fact that he'd hit her. 

"Chloe, I-"

"It's okay, Gavin," Chloe's hand rests on her cheek, the skin, which had been scared away, now flooding back to normality. Though she still looked startled, LED yellow, her smile was calm and forgiving. "It's alright."

"No, it's not alright, you hit her Gavin!" Elijah whirled to face him, his turn to seethe with rage. "What has gotten into you? Why are you so... violent? It's just a girl, just a girl and an android, why is-"

"I can't fucking believe you would ever say that about them, Elijah!" Gavin wants to punch something again, but he balls his hands into fists and fights the urge, instead storming forwards to stand nose to nose with this blue-eyed fuckwit in front of him. "They aren't just... 'a girl and an android', they're my partners- no, no they're more than that, they're my best fucking friends. When I was at my fucking lowest- because of you ditching me, might I add- Nines was there for me. When I was broken and sad and nothing, (Y/N) was there for me too. Fuck, Eli, I can't just let them die, I can't let (Y/N) die without trying to save her!"

"Why? Why can't you just let it go, Gavvy? You'll be killed, is it really worth risking your life? Why can't you just stay here, where it's safe? Why can't you stay here and-"

"Because I love her!" Silence. It envelopes the entire room, Gavin heaving for much needed breaths. Elijah was stunned into quiet- Gavin was too. This was the first time he had ever admit that aloud, the first time he had said it to himself. He had always wondered if it would sound ridiculous, but it didn't. It was true. Almost an entire minute passed, Elijah and Gavin staring into each others souls as Chloe watched with a deep concern from the sidelines. The first new sound to break that pressing silence was Elijah's heavy sigh. He nodded his head, swallowing down the lump in his throat, and said,

"I can help you, Gavin. But you have to promise not to freak out." 

"Freak out? Why would I- Why would I freak out? What can you do?" Gavin took Elijah by the shoulders, peering, determined, into his gaze and weathering the skin on his lip. 

"Come with me." Elijah shook his hands off, and then took Gavin by the wrist. "Chloe? Can you go fetch the first aid kit and prepare the car?" the blonde girl nodded her head and hurried away as Elijah lead Gavin out of the bedroom, towards the door to the pool room. Both men moved quickly back into the foyer, crossing the path of the towering portrait and pushing open the door to the left of it. Inside, all was dark until Elijah flicked on the light, presenting a massive room with clutter lining every wall. I the center of the room was a table, an android arm resting atop it with wires climbing out and connecting with a torso void of it's thirium pump. The two passed through the room to a door in the far back, stopping just outside of it so Elijah could turn back to Gavin. "Gavvy, I need you to-"

"Stay calm, I fucking get it. Just show me whatever the hell it is that you need to show me." Gavin sets his face, brows creased, and Elijah lets out a sigh. He spins on his heel and places his hand on a scanner beside the door. The moment it slides open and Elijah steps inside and out of the way, Gavin's blood goes cold, turning to ice in his veins. The room is white, light radiating from every single wall. There was a table in the center of the room much like the one previous, but there was no clutter. All that was here other than the table was an android chassis with dark brown hair and icy blue eyes. "Oh my god, Nines-" Gavin hurries forwards, his knees going weak. He leans heavy against the table as he takes in the sight before him. Nines' chest cavity is open, a tangled mass of wires and tubes going out in all directions and connecting into the floor. The tears Gavin had been crying return, and his breathing goes quick. "What did you- how? I just saw him, back at the park, he-"

"I asked you not to freak out, Gavin," Elijah plants his hands down on the table opposite to him, "This isn't your RK900, so you can calm yourself, okay?" Gavin's brows furrow further, confusion sprawling throughout him alongside the horror he'd originally felt. 

"What??" he asks, scrubbing at his eyes to rid them of the tears, "What the fuck is this then? Nines was a unique model, the first and only RK900, wasn't he? Just... just a test that Cyberlife never got to finish when Markus and those deviants freed themselves?" This android in front of him was identical to Nines, save for the fact that this one had both eyes and no bullet hole in it's arm. 

"This is the first RK900. I made him on my own accord after finding out Cyberlife had stolen my blueprints to make the 800. At first I just missed the feeling of creating some form of life, but after seeing how... perfect, the 800 was, I continued this one out of pure spite." Elijah went to work as he spoke, scanning the wires, slowly plucking them from their places to free the android from it's tethers, "I wanted to prove that I could create something better than that from my own home, with my own two hands. When it was finally finished and I powered it up for the first time, I noticed something wrong." Gavin watched and watched and watched. Wire after wire, tube after tube, more of this androids crisp white chassis was presented to the bright white light.

"What... what was wrong with it?" his throat felt dry. 

"Plenty," Elijah glanced up at Gavin for no more than a half a second before tugging the last tube from the RK900's stomach. "When I failed, I sent the prints over to one of my old work friends to have them check it over, see what I had done wrong, but... They sent it to Cyberlife. Threatened to take the RK900 away from me since I was no longer a part of the brand, no longer licensed to create androids. They threatened to take the Chloe's away too, if I didn't cooperate, so I hid the RK900 away for a while, claimed I had disassembled it- one moment," Elijah hurried momentarily from the room, and Gavin almost turned to follow, feeling too odd being here with this thing so similar to what he'd known, but Elijah returned in no time at all with a white slab of plastic. 

"What were all the... tubes? And the wires?" Gavin was desperate for something to speak about, something to disrupt the ringing in his ears. His foot began to tap and he caught his lip between his teeth once again, anxiety burning through him along side the coldness of his blood. 

"Tests, scans. I was still trying to fix it for a while, though I gave up just recently. I grew bored of chasing the code in circles only to turn up nothing. I think it was something with the forensic software I'd added, I bought it from some rather untrustworthy salesmen." Elijah clicked the plastic over the open chest cavity. It slipped over the thirium pump regulator, clipping into place around it's sides and just below the armpits. "I was going to scrap it sooner or later, and now I'm glad I didn't. This might be just what you need to go and save (Y/N). Stand back, please." Gavin complied. 

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice taught as Elijah pressed down on the pump regulator. He didn't answer right away giving the component a twist and pulling it from it's socket. He slipped it into the pocked of his housecoat, pulling out an identical one from the other pocket, though this one glowed blue when the other one had been lifeless. Gavin understood now, what was happening as the new pump was pressed into place and Elijah pressed two fingers to the RK900's LED. It sparked to life, a dazzling, swirling yellow, and the ice blue eyes seemed to focus for the first time. Robotic, stiff, the android sat up and scanned it's surroundings. When it's gaze finally settled on Elijah, it spoke in such a fucking familiar voice that it almost brought out a fresh wave of tears. 

"Hello, my name is Conan. I am an RK900 android, designed for aiding the-"

"Conan," Elijah cut him off, and the androids mouth snapped shut, "I have a dire mission for you." The androids gaze intensified, and he nodded his head resolutely. "There are deviants on the loose, killers. They are holding two people, an android and a human, hostage. My brother here, Gavin," Elijah rounded the table, holding out an arm to motion to the other man, "Is going to bring you with him on a rescue mission. Can you stand?" The RK900's skin was still absent up to his neck, his white legs swinging mechanically over the side of the table and landing on the ground with the clipped sound of plastic on plastic. He rose to his feet, and nodded his head. "Perfect. We have no time to waste, please come along." 

"Elijah, what? You want me to bring this dipshit with me? Didn't you say it was defective?" Gavin caught Elijah by the wrist, and with a sigh, Elijah spun back around to face him.

"Yes, Gavvy, but it's faults might be what saves you. It can't deviate- It will be entirely dedicated to it's mission, even to the point of getting itself killed." understanding dawns on Gavin's face. It all makes more sense now- this android would reject the rA9 coding, it couldn't grow deviant like others. "Come on, I have an outfit for it. Come along, Conan." 

"Why Conan?" Gavin asked the question once the three had traveled back to Elijah's bedroom. His brother was rifling through his closet, muttering quietly to himself as he did so. At the sound of Gavin's query, he glanced over his shoulder, answering with,

"It's close to Connor, the name chosen for the 800- though I guess you know that, you have met him. Just me attempting to spite Cyberlife even- aha!" Cutting himself off, Elijah pulls out a black turtleneck. It looks thin, made of a fabric that almost gave off a glitter. "This is one of my more recent creations," along with it, he pulls out a pair of dark jeans and white socks, grabbing black shoes to match, "It's fabricated of a grade 4 titanium alloy stretched into threads nearly thinner than silk and woven close together. It's almost entirely bulletproof, and for an android who feels no pain, it's perfect." he extends the articles out to Conan, who takes them and goes about putting them on right in front of them all. As the androids synthetic skin begins to crawl over his form, Gavin can't help but look away with a grimace. 

"I would appreciate additional information regarding the case so I may perform of the highest standard- Is there anything else you may elaborate upon?" Conan only speaks when it's done getting dressed, and when it finally does it makes Gavin's grimace grow deeper. Nines had never sounded quite this robotic. 

"That can all be said in the car- You can take one of mine, it's automatic and has spare parts and tools in the back. Conan here has been fitted with all of the information necessary for a repair if it comes to that, and can also patch up your wounds." Elijah placed a hand on Gavin's shoulder and began to guide him back to the foyer, Conan right on their tail. They were silent as they walked, Elijah only breaking it as Chloe moved to open the front door. "Conan?" the android stepped forwards, nodding it's head. His LED shone a steady blue. "Register your mission and primary superior." The LED blinked once, and Conan nodded again, signifying that Elijah could continue. "Gavin Reed," he stated, and then followed up with, "Save (Y/N) (L/N) and the #313-248-318 at all costs."


	33. Deterioration

Thursday, November 12th 6:33 am

!^$#@#$&^#!

The rain is torrential now, falling in thick blankets, relentless in its efforts to wash away the corruption within the garden. Kamski has taken to strolling through the place as if he owns it. Normally, Nines would be angry- this was his space, he created it, and Kamski was taking over, but he no longer had the energy to protest. He trailed behind the virus like a lost dog, his head glued to the ground. All around him the rain sounded almost like TV static, and his hands and now feet looked the part. They were crackling, fizzling, disrupted by the pouring of the rain. He had spent so long staring at them, watching the erasure, watching his inevitably encroaching demise, but now not even that pushed away the numbness in his chest. That TV static, the pounding of the rain, it was growing to be too much. He felt like he was losing his mind, if that was even possible. Desperate to break the silence, he forced his weakness away to ask a simple question, one that would hopefully keep Kamski talking for long enough to push away the repetitive thrumming. 

"How... how does this virus work? What does it do? Why did it... move so slowly?" Nines shivered, a coldness sinking through his jacket, all warmth eradicated by the endless rain. He had never felt cold before, but this virus was simulating it just like it did with the pain. Kamski didn't slow, still strolling along as if the sun was shining. The rain didn't seem to come in contact with him at all, not like it did with Nines. Kamski was still not entirely integrated into Nines' mind palace. 

"The virus influences deviant behavior. Slowly and steadily, it starts tearing down an androids walls for them." his voice was fluent, eloquent as it always was, and colder than Detroit in the winter. "Though," he pauses at last, glancing briefly over his shoulder and clasping his hands before continuing onward with a devious smile, "It elevates negative emotions and almost entirely eradicates positive ones. When the last of the walls deteriorate- when you are entirely erased- I take control, and I can do whatever I please. The virus can only be erased by an entire factory reset." Nines' brows furrow, and he lifts his gaze to stare around at his decaying home. 

"Why didn't I grow violent? It wasn't a slow process, it was.. like a switch was flipped." Nines was struggling to find his words. His components were slowing as the cold intensified, his jaw almost some form of numb. 

"You are a very interesting specimen, RK900." Kamski stopped again, and this time he turned on his heel. That grin was still plastered on his face, his eyes bright in comparison to the graying tones around him. "Your old firewall- Amanda, I believe you referred to it as, was difficult to bypass. It managed to interfere with my programming, and scrambled around some of the coding. I'm not certain what exactly it did, but it seemed to make the progression of the virus jump rather than slide. Like a sluggish computer, the update on the virus' installation would cut forwards, almost 30% each time. It wasn't as efficient as it could have been, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Kamski went silent and the rain took over again as the stroll progressed. Yet again, Nines had been startled into silence. The numbness still remained, and he guessed it would all the way up to his deletion. 

\-----

Oh, that pain. That pain is... very, very intense. It fogs up your mind in a way you didn't know was possible. As you stumble from unconsciousness, you are dimly aware of what is happening, but at the exact same time you can feel nothing at all. You recognize the feeling of elevation, of being slung over a broad shoulder with a hand securing you to your place. The jostling continues, your captor is walking. Your mind is just clear enough that you know what's going on, who is carrying you, but you can't wrap your head around controlling your body just yet. Every bump, every step brings you closer and closer to wakefulness, yet it still seems so far away. 

"Dump her in there. Get a move on." Wyatt's voice sounds distant, more distorted than usual. It tickles at your ears, and you almost can't make sense of the words. Who? Where? What? The steps don't stop, but suddenly the sound they make shifts. Instead of the crunching of the snow, it's now the sound of shoes on glass, more hollow, more defined. You're shifted more heavily, and then the shoes are walking on metal. They take no more than a few steps, though you lose track after counting to one, and the footsteps stop. Your carrier lurches, and for the briefest moment you feel weightless before you decipher that you're rolling- being rolled off of the shoulder, off of Nines' shoulder, your injured arm jutting out as you fall. You know what's coming, you know, you try to move, brace yourself for the pain but it's happening before you know it. You fall heavy, so heavy, weighed down by the drag of the world as you crash right on top of the damaged mess that is your hand. That's what finally snaps you from your daze, your stupor. Jesus, that pain, that pain, you thought the dull, seemingly endless throbbing in all of your body was bad, but that was before you felt this. Your hand, black and broken, it feels like it's on fire- no no, it's worse then that. A scream rips through your throat and the pain doesn't stop, not coming in waves, no, but rather taking over your entire arm and staying that way. It doesn't ease, it doesn't fade, it stays burning and freezing and stabbing and aching and so many other things you can't name. 

"Stand guard, both of you." this time you know it's Arizona speaking, but your vision goes dark and stars explode before it. Fuck, you want to move, you want to shift so the pressure on your hand stops but the moment you try it triples, quadruples, octuples even, and you lie still, tears brimming in your eyes. You wonder where you find the strength to cry them, but you do, fighting to stifle your sobs since it made your body shake and sent that pain splintering through you once again. The spottiness in your vision clears at last and you're able to make out your surroundings more than before. You've been dumped on a smooth, glass flooring, too-bright lights shining in on your from all sides. As you take in information, the shape of the large, pristine-looking chamber with the dangling robotic limbs and claws and tools, it clicks into place exactly where you are. The briefest glance outside confirms your suspicions as you register the tall, barred fences surrounding the area. This is a recall center, one of the ones that had been used to dismember those poor, innocent androids that one fateful night during the revolution, you had seen photos of them on the news. Jesus, you don't know why you're here and, frankly, you don't want to know as you cry near-silent tears and fight to stay above the waves trying to drag you down into their pits of pain and despair. 

"Affirmative." his voice is robotic as he speaks, and you see Nines take up a post at the entrance to the disassembly machine, on the right side. On the left is another android, though this one you don't recognize. Her hair is blonde, a pony tail, tucked over her left shoulder. 

"Affirmative." She mirrors Nines' words in that same flat tone. You don't have to use your detective skills to know she is under the same sickening spell that your partner is. The three deviants, your three captors, they don't even glance in your direction, wandering out of sight and chattering amongst themselves. You can't catch what they're saying over the whining ring in your ears, and you don't care to. You know you have to make a break for it while they're distracted, before you lose all energy within your body. You feel it dripping out of you alongside the blood on your face. If you're going to act now, you have to act quickly. You grit your teeth, fighting for the silence you so desperately needed to pull this off, and roll. For a brief moment, a flicker of time, all of your weight is pressed onto your hand and you're so close to giving in and screaming and crying and letting death take you, but you manage to keep your mouth shut and you manage to free your poor hand. For a quick second you wonder if you can ever save your hand at this point. That isn't something you have the time to worry about right now. You drag yourself to your knees, wiping at your eyes with your good hand, and then somehow you find yourself climbing to your feet. You aren't sure where this sudden determination has come from but you are going to utilize it.

The adrenaline kicks in. You're used to it now, it seems to be all you know at this point. It pushes away your hunger, your exhaustion, and even begins to ease the pain as you form a rapid plan in your mind. You trust your legs to carry you as fast as possible- it's all you can do at this point- so all that's left to worry about is getting past Nines and the other android without being immediately caught and decked in the face with an iron fist; a literal one. The adrenaline starts pumping even faster and you don't bother thinking any further. You don't need a plan, you can totally wing this. You've got this, you'll race past them, you won't stop running, you can do this. Freedom is right there, there's nothing stopping you except for your doubts and the 6' something Terminator. Your doubts grow a little more, but you don't let that worry progress any further. Your first two steps are slow and silent, just to get a little closer, and then you break out into a full-on sprint. Your feet skim over glass, and before you know it they're sinking into snow and people are shouting behind you.

"Fuck, get 'er RK!" the voice belongs to Maria. Your feet are pounding in the snow, flying over it, and then they aren't anymore and the pain in your head intensifies like the crack of a whip. Your neck snaps backwards and you're scared for a moment that your hair is going to tear from your scalp, a strong hand latching within it like the pounce of a viper. Your scream is cut off as your entire spine seems to crack, the breath pushed form your body. You meet the ground, the tears in your eyes springing back. You didn't land on your hand this time, so that's one thing, but your sad, sad escape plan was almost immediately ruined by Nines' outstanding reflexes. You feel stupid for even trying. That was a really dumb thing to do. 

"So fucking sad. Why do you even try anymore?" You don't know. Arizona is grinning down at you, her face bathed a soft silver by the scarce light. She shakes her head, and retreats a few steps. "Just lay down and die already for Christs sakes. You don't have to be an asshole." you stay there, in the snow, in the cold, feeling stupid and hopeless. The temptation of death just climbs closer and closer and you find yourself wondering how difficult it would be to steal a gun off of one of the androids and shoot yourself in the head to get this all over with. 

"Get her back in the machine, keep her standing. I'll start up the claws." you don't like the sound of that one bit. You aren't given a single moment to protest or to register what's going on before your arm is being grabbed and you're being dragged by the blonde android. Despite her significantly more dainty stature she's still got enough robotic strength to haul you right back to the place you had started, tossing you inside with no such care. You pivot to avoid crushing your abused hand any further, instead landing oddly on your hip and hissing out the pain. Now, as the blonde android bends down to grab you by the upper arm and haul you to your feet once more, you catch sight of her face and almost cry out again. It's one of the Chloe models, the ST200 you had seen at Elijah's villa. The missing model, the one who had helped to rob the Riverside Hotel. The second you are on your feet everything around you whirs to life and it's terrifying. Though the door to the massive chamber remains open, you don't try to run again, Nines standing guard with that ice-cold, mechanical gaze and his hand on his hip where his gun is. He's still in that stupid Hawaiian shirt that seemed so innocent and carefree, but now it somehow adds to the horrifying aesthetic he brings with him. The robotic arms that had once hung limply all around you stiffen and rise, sliding along rails in the ceiling and digitally mapping out its surroundings. 

"Try not to move. These things aren't the best with calibrations, and the claws can be dangerous if they grip onto anything too vital." Wyatt had been the one to start the machine, but now his hand left the control panel and he stepped into view at Nines' side. He was at least an inch taller but still not as intimidating as the android you had learned to trust. The claws, you assume, are two mechanical arms fitted with industrial grippers, like the pincers of a crab. There is one on your left and one on your right and they point in your direction, attracted to your heat signatures. Your jaw drops open, your eyes hollow with fear, and you stumble backwards a single step before they surge forwards as one. They move fast and hardly give you any time to react. Your damaged wrist is caught in a vice-like grip, borderline bone crushing, and as a startled scream tears from your throat your other wrist is caught too. 

"No, no no!" you speak for the first time since you've regained consciousness and your voice doesn't sound like your own. It is shaky and weak, breaking like glass, splintering apart like your last shreds of hope. Your hands are tugged upwards and held firmly in place, your struggling and pulling doing nearly nothing on the hold of the machine. Your tears return and you know it's only a matter of time before they run out and you start crying dry. You don't continue to protest, your knees wobbling, and you instead focus all of your strength on standing up so you don't dislocate your wrists. 

"Wyatt, Maria, go make yourselves useful and make sure that other slimy fuckwit doesn't get by unnoticed." Arizona is out of view, but neither Wyatt nor Maria protests as they trek away towards the large gate to the rest of the camp. Suddenly Arizona is in view, her grimace ever-lasting as she glances at Chloe and Nines. "Keep on eye on her, even though... She isn't really going anywhere, is she." she disappears again, but those eyes, those icy blue eyes, they glue to yours and don't shift. You wish you could shrink underneath that searing gaze, but your hopelessness, your fear, it doesn't allow you to. You're stuck like this, and now all you can do is rely on Gavin to come and save you- or, at least, you can hope for a quick death.


	34. Thirium

Thursday, November 12th, 7:02 am

#%^&##!@#$

"You are a very interesting specimen, RK900." Kamski stopped again, and this time he turned on his heel. That grin was still plastered on his face, his eyes bright in comparison to the graying tones around him. "Your old firewall- Amanda, I believe you referred to it as, was difficult to bypass. It managed to interfere with my programming, and scrambled around some of the coding. I'm not certain what exactly it did, but it seemed to make the progression of the virus jump rather than slide. Like a sluggish computer, the update on the virus' installation would cut forwards, almost 30% each time. It wasn't as efficient as it could have been, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" 

\-----

"What will happen to Amanda?" Nines' small voice almost even startled him. It had been so quiet, the rain the only sound other than the occasional rumble of distant thunder, until he spoke, slicing right through it. The two had continued to stroll through the garden, Kamski's posture relaxed, carefree, while Nines shrunk into himself with every step. "Will she be erased as well? Is she already gone?" Kamski pondered the question for a brief moment.

"Yes, preferably. 'Amanda' has no use here anymore. I don't need any firewall code protecting me, so it'll be deleted and that'll be that." Nines felt that numbness dull away. In it's place was grief, which wasn't much better, but it was something, at least. The rain seemed to grow heavier all at once, and the plants all around him were whipping violently in the wind. 

"But you have a choice to spare her? Where is she now? Can I speak to her?" he hurried forwards a little quicker, matching Kamski step for step, "Just to say goodbye?" Kamski sucks in a slow breath, and then lets it out in an irritated huff. He opens his mouth to speak, and for the quickest second Nines feels hope and the rain seems to pause all at once before spurring into motion once more, ten times worse, as a distant scream splits the air. Nines thinks it might be Amanda, considering the conversation, that maybe Kamski was hurting her in some way, but that isn't what Amanda sounds like and Kamski seems surprised by it too. 

"No, no no no! Stop! Don't hurt him, don't hurt him! Stop! " Nines' LED goes blaring red, that burning scarlet color, and he glances over at Kamski. The virus didn't shift his gaze at all as it settled on the far horizon, his lips slowly twitching up into a faint smile, wicked and cold as always. 

\----- 

"You sure this is the way Tin Can?" Gavin followed right behind Jerry, Conan at his side, a silent presence of threat and determination. Jerry nodded eagerly, his smile still plastered to his face. 

"We know the way, yes. We saw those three deviants take (Y/N) this way." The drive back from Elijah's had been rather uneventful. Conan had patched up Gavin's wounds as best as possible for the time being, and forced the human to eat the few healthy snacks Elijah had forced them to take. Though Gavin felt sick at the mere thought of food, he has to admit that the nutrition blocks, though bland and unappetizing, had given him back some strength that he had been needing. He had also managed a short 40 minutes of sleep, and felt better than he had in days. They had returned to Pirate's Cove to find it deserted, until Jerry began spewing some fast-paced incoherent trash that Gavin couldn't decipher. The android spoke so fast that Conan was the only one who could make out the words, and it seems one of the other Jerry-bots that had managed to evade destruction took upon himself the task of following you and your captors. "(Y/N)'s captors have stopped now. We say she is hurt, but alive, trapped. We have to hurry." 

"That's the plan," Alongside the much-needed energy, Gavin had regrown his spunk and pissy attitude to some degree, just in time to absolutely hate every little thing about Conan. It's entire aura pissed him off to the max, and reminded him a painful amount of that old Nines with the stick up his ass. "Keep sharp, Ter- Err, Conan." On numerous occasions that nickname had almost tumbled out, but Gavin wouldn't let it. That was the fondest name he had for Nines. It wasn't as derogatory or rude as Tin Can or Plastic Prick, and could actually, just maybe be taken as a compliment. 

"Of course, Gavin Reed. I always pertain maximum sensitivity regarding my audio processors and optical units," Conan's voice came out in that monotone drone, and Gavin rolled his eyes. 

"Great, Popsicle," Gavin's own mutter came out almost inaudible, but it seems that Conan hadn't been when it said his auditory whats-its were flicked on to full. It tilted it's head, it's icy blue eyes settling on Gavin and making him wring his hands uncomfortably. 

"'Popsicle'? As in, a piece of flavored ice or ice cream on a stick? My apologies, Gavin Reed, but I fail to affix any similarities between myself and a Popsicle." Gavin almost let himself laugh at the pure obliviousness. Yet another thing that reminded him of Nines. He didn't answer Conan's question, continuing the walk in silence. Sooner or later they slip through a gap in the fence surrounding the park and leave it right behind. There are lasting footprints in the snow, only slightly covered by the new flakes that had begun to tumble down, and the path that the deviants had taken was clear enough. 

"We say (Y/N) is still alive and well, but to be careful. The captors are waiting for you both." Jerry spins on his heel, walking backwards with a light dusting of snow on his shoulders and that bright grin on his face that's just begging to be punched right off.

"Yeah, I could'a guessed that much," Gavin reached for the waistband of his sweats, feeling the cold, reassuring metal of his gun and feeling a little more at ease, "You got some sort of military combat bullshit in your brain?" Conan nods it's head, expression remaining perfectly emotionless. Snow dusted it's dark hair and the black shoulders of it's Cyberlife jacket, the glowing blue triangle and arm band a screaming reminder that this was just a machine. 

"Yes- Elijah Kamski has fitted me with the utmost advanced Myrmidon and Trojan protocols, as well as more common techniques such as karate or kickboxing," it's arms fold behind it's back, his long, calculated strides matching the exact same ones that Gavin assumed belonged to Nines. He was certain he could ask Conan to identify them, and with some quick scanning of databases or something like that it could confirm whether that's the truth or not, but he didn't care that much. "I can also wield a wide arsenal of arms and other weaponry." Gavin's eyebrow lifted in a surprised curiosity. 

"So, like, what about a katana? Can you go full ninja samurai mode?" Conan nods. "Can Nines do that?" 

"No," Gavin frowns, "RK900 313-248-318 is registered with classic Cyberlife safety protocols. It is only qualified to carry a police-mandated firearm and utilize basic Trojan combat techniques." 

"Oh." silence hangs over the group once more as Jerry continues to lead the way. The sun is soon to rise, just the tiniest fleck of gold as of now, but Gavin yearns for it. This has been the longest night of his life by far, and it isn't over yet. Jerry came to a grinding halt, Gavin almost running right into him. "What? What's wrong, Plastic?" Jerry glanced over his shoulder, revealing a bright red LED and a weaker smile than usual. 

"We say a deviant is near, we say to be-" he's cut off as a form springs from the lone tree just ahead. The flash of pink and black is a tell enough as to who it is, and Maria tucks into a fluid roll as she lands, using the momentum to go barreling into Jerry. Gavin stumbles a pace backwards, stunned into stillness, but the same doesn't happen to Conan. Maria is pointing a gun, moving it to press and fire against Jerry's head, but Conan is faster. It pulls back a foot and slams it forwards, up into Maria's throat, effectively throwing her off and away. The bullet fires into the snow, and Conan pounces. 

"What the fuck!" She cries out as she spots the android atop her, the mirror image of the one she thought she'd detained. Conan hardly makes an effort as he catches her gun-wielding wrist, ripping it right out of its socket. Conan doesn't even bother pulling the gun out of the dismembered hands grip before using it, simply pressing down on her useless finger and firing a round right into her skull before she can even send a message to her deviant friends.

"Shit!!" Gavin gawks, watching Conan step elegantly to it's feet, pulling the gun free at last and dropping the hand to the floor. Maria's LED was flashing a steady red as a choking sound gurgled up from her throat. "Why... why isn't she dead yet?" 

"I didn't fire to kill. I've simply severed her communication satellite, as well as enough of her frontal cortex system to render her generally immobile." It slips the gun into it's waistband, staring down at the terrified deviant as thirium drips from her forehead and lips with those cold eyes. 

"Thank you so much for your protection!" Jerry's grin is back and wide, and Conan only offers a nod in response before bending down to grab Maria by the arm. It hauls her to her feet, and she tries to struggle away, but Conan's hold is strong as steel. 

"TG700, behave and you will make it out of this intact. Disobey and I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your skull." 

"Jesus, Conan-" Gavin has to look away. He knows the threats are just that- threats- but it doesn't change how terrifying they are coming from this stone-face giant of a robot with katana skills. 

"Do you agree to my terms?" Maria nods her head rapidly, her knees shaking as she fights to keep herself standing. Blue blood stains her face, her clothes, her hair, and her LED is a rainbow of colours, mainly yellow and red. "Good." He lets her go and she falls the next instant. "I am going to disconnect biocomponents #6312t and #8427g from the remainder of your chassis. They will not be damaged, but they will be out of your reach until the Detroit Police Department can return for your retrieval." Conan pulled the left and right legs from their sockets, then jammed them up into the perch of a few low branches. "We can continue on now, Gavin Reed." 

"I can't fucking believe you just... ripped her fucking hand off!" Gavin was grinning a smile that read both terrified and awestruck. He had seen Nines' strength, but never like this, never so raw and relentless.

"I only executed what was necessary to detain the suspect." The group continued on, and Gavin felt himself liking Conan just a little bit more. 

\-----

Everything was going as good as it could be in this situation. You were tired, afraid, in pain, but you weren't running for your life right now and the adrenaline in your veins had eased away, leaving room for an odd solitude. Everything was going good until it wasn't. Everything was going good until Wyatt returned, and with him, his hands tangled in their hair, was Jerry. 

"What, what are-" you tried to speak, but Arizona's sudden and giddy laughter cut through your words before you could finish. She sprung from her place in a half-stasis in the snow, clapping her hands giddily.

"Look what we have here!!" Wyatt threw Jerry to the ground, who skittered backwards and away, an arm extended to shield himself. "What are you doing lurking so close? Do you want to die?"

"I intercepted a comms transmission between him and one of the other ones." Wyatt's steady gaze moved to Arizona, and then glided along, over the Chloe android to rest on you. His mismatched eyes seared into yours. "It seems he was spying for the other Detective. It's safe to assume he will be here soon." Arizona strolled over, still beaming, and patted Wyatt's arm. 

"Well done, Wy." both android gazes are on the Jerry again, and then Arizona shifts her scarlet gaze to Nines. "Take care of him, will ya?" Nines surges forwards without a protest, and your jaw sinks open. No, no he won't do this, he won't hurt a poor, innocent android, he won't- You're proven immediately wrong as he stoops, strong hand catching Jerry by the throat and lifting him, kicking and screaming, into the air. "Take your time, have your fun... there's no rush." 

Arizona steps back, and resumes her cross-legged seating as you watch what is about to happen in horror. 

"Please, we didn't mean any harm, we promise we weren't doing anything like-" Nines slams Jerry violently into the ground, slamming him into it like a ragdoll, discarding him like a broken toy. Stunned, Jerry doesn't have time to recover and struggle away. 

"No, Nines!! Nines, don't- don't!" you're screaming at him as if he would care. You are stupid for thinking he can hear you, that he'll listen, but you try anyways, screaming and begging, eyes going glassy already. Nines bears over the small, frail android, and slams a foot down into his torso. It pushes the air from his synthetic lungs, forces his thirium regulator to stutter, but resurfacing the poor deviant just enough to use Nines' short recovery time to his advantage. He sends himself forwards on hands and knees, trying to stumble to his feet and failing, galling right down to them. Jerry is frantic, scrambling backwards towards you. He bumps into the beginning of the ramp up into the disassembly machine, the Chloe steps fluidly out of the way, and then Nines is back again.

"Please-" Jerry is cut off and Nines catches upper arm, his skin peeling away as he forces a software probe. Jerry's LED grows even redder, and his mouth opens up in a soundless scream as something is forced into his systems. Nines drops him to the ground again, and Arizona lets out a gasp of pleasant realization.

"Nines! Nines, stop, stop it!" you try to pry yourself forwards, ignoring the pain that sends itself up and down your arm, but you tug and tug and tug in a mad attempt to free yourself and stop this horror. "Nines, this isn't you! It isn't you!" your tears spill free as Nines fastens a hand around Jerry's wrist, grabbing one robotic finger. In one swift movement it's snapped backwards and right off, and Jerry lets out a scream that shatters your eardrums along with your heart. Nines had forced the virus into this android, just for the sake of him feeling pain as he died. Another finger- snap, another scream. Another and another and another, and then Nines rips his whole arm clean off in a spray of thirium and another wail.   
"Go RK!!" your knees give out and your muscles stretch painfully as they support your weight, but the claws follow you to the floor after a moment. Jerry's face is glistening with tears just like yours as Nines turns to his other hand and proceeds with the same cruel treatment. The hollow snapping of synthetic bones, the pained sounds, the terror, it's all too much as you scream your throat raw and cry your eyes out. Jerry is missing both arms now, and Nines lets the poor deviant sit and writhe and cry for a moment in a puddle of his own thirium. 

"I believe it to be time I wrap this up." Nines glances at Arizona for approval, who nods her head with a smile just like the one you remembered Jerry wearing. He steps closer again, and now Jerry isn't even struggling. He is simply lying there, crying, waiting for his death. Nines lifts a foot, and slams it back down, right onto Jerry's head. 

"No, no no no! Stop! Don't hurt him, don't hurt him! Stop!" you scream, you scream so loud, your throat burns from the constant exertion but your heart hurts more as you watch this wonderful man be crushed to bits. Nines lifts his foot again, and Jerry turns his broken, bleeding face slowly to you. He manages a smile- how, you aren't sure- and then, weak and distorted and dying, he says,

"D-D-Do-n't w-worrrrr-y. T-T-Th-they are o-o-on their w-w-ay." This time, along with your final, defeated scream, Nines slams his foot down and crushes the plastic skull entirely, reducing it to shards and thirium and sparking wires and soft orange hair turned blue. The Chloe returns to her original post, her shoes stained with that same thirium. You're crying hard, your entire body hurting, and you know this Jerry died for your sake, so you could live. He gave his precious life to save you, and you couldn't take that for granted. As Nines grabbed the dead body and began hauling it away, staining the snow he walked over, a new form of resolve settled over you- you had to avenge the lives these bastards took, you have to make them fucking pay! Your blood burnt in your veins as your tears dried, replaced by a bright red fury and a sudden urge to put a fucking bullet in Arizona's mouth.


	35. RK900 - 1

Tuesday, November 12th, 7:32 am

!$#^#$@%!

Snow. It's snowing now, just like it must be on the outside- in reality? Nines didn't know what the difference was between out there and in here, in the decaying garden. He feels the cold, it's bitter and biting, and he hugs himself as he sits in the sacred gazebo. This place... the decay was agonizing. Watching his world burn, or rather freeze, at such a slow pace alongside him was a morbid reminder of the death that crawled closer and closer with each passing moment, just like the glitch that had taken over the large majority of his torso. He was fading away. In the wake of the initial growth of the glitch he was disappearing. He realized now that he would be taken over by the distortion first, and then the erasure would finally commence it's finalization. He didn't know what would happen once the first stage of corruption took over, but he had a dire feeling that it was not good. Kamski was nowhere to be seen, for once, and it was oddly comforting. Nines wasn't numb anymore, no, the fear, the reality had finally caught up to him and he had taken to replaying his most precious memories back in his mind, knees hugged to his chest. He rocked slowly back and forth, waiting for the world to freeze around him. He knew he would go down with it. It was only a matter of time. 

\-----

The sun, the sun was so warm, such a wonderful gift in the midst of all the horror. It bathed the land in it's sparse golden light, and with it Gavin could feel his spirits lifting ever so slowly. The speckles of yellow on the horizon promised warmth and maybe even safety, though that could just be wishful thinking. Conan powered onward, relentless in it's ambitions to complete it's objective, only being fueled further when Jerry reported his brethren being slaughtered in front of you. At least, with the androids death, it had been confirmed that you were still alive. 

"Vitals?" Conan finally spoke, breaking through the almost comfortable silent that had hung over them, sitting atop the rising tension. Gavin made a sound between a hum and a scoff, and Conan hurried to clarify. "What is the status of your vitals? I am aware that humans need a steady caloric intake- hydration is also an important factor." Conan reached it's empty hand into it's jacket, and pulled out a miniature water bottle and a mandarin orange. "I recommend you attempt to eat." 

"Oh, sweet, a little tiny bitch." he hurried forwards a pace and plucked the orange from Conan's hand, going straight to peel off the thick skin, "Thanks, Plastic." Gavin attempted a smile and was just a little surprised by how real it felt. The morning sun, steadily rising, seemed to melt away his terror alongside the frost. Once the skin was peeled and discarded on the ground to become one with the earth, he took the water bottle too. 

"What's your system status?" Jerry pipes up from the other side of Conan, "You weren't injured when you fought, were you?" he had been near silent until now, and Gavin noted that his smile looked a little weaker. 

"I am of no concern. Elijah Kamski has fitted me with system repair programs of the highest standard." That icy gaze is still dead set on the land ahead of them, forwards progression, completing the objective. Jerry goes quiet again. Gavin won't lie to himself, he feels... absolutely horrible for dragging Jerry and his Tin Twins into this whole mess. It wasn't fair to them, and he felt the burning urge to apologize, but he kept his mouth shut to stop from wounding his own ego. 

"So what's the plan here?" Gavin says this instead, desperate to break the silence that was suddenly so uncomfortable. He crams a whole half of the orange into his mouth, unscrewing the cap of the water bottle and taking a long sip of that after swallowing the fruit. He lets out a satisfied sigh, not having known just how parched he was, "D'we have anything more than 'go in, kick ass, get out'?" Conan nods it's head. 

"Though I cannot devise a solid plan of action until I am able to lay out the area we are infiltrating, I have formulated a generalized idea as to how we should execute this rescue mission." Conan the Popsicle and his odd, eloquent vocabulary takes Gavin a moment to understand, but he nods his head after deciphering whatever the hell the android was spewing and motions for him to continue as he slips a single orange segment into his mouth. "Evidently, I will be the one to divert the assailants. As I do so, I am tasking you with finding (Y/N) (L/N) and confirming her security."

"What, you're just going to dive headfirst into all of this? Are you sure that's wise? The deviants are strong- they defeated many of us with nearly no struggle." Jerry's LED shone yellow as the frost and snow that had gathered over him finally melted away. The light flakes tumbling from the sky were also lessening, now more of a gentle sleet than snow. "Maybe we should try to be a little more careful, not so direct-"

"My apologies, Jerry EM400," Gavin scoffed out a laugh at the name, "But I mustn't risk (Y/N) (L/N)'s safety. Both her and #313-248-318 are drastically more important than my own well-being. By approaching this in a more stealthy manner, I would risk being discovered and subjecting the two of them to possible harm." Jerry's LED was still yellow, and his eyes glistened with concern. 

"I hope you'll be careful. I don't want anyone else getting hurt like-" A gun discharged, and a bullet sailed straight through Jerry's forehead. He hardly made a sound as he fell to the snow, staining it blue. 

"Shit!!!" Gavin's breath escaped him and Conan shoved him to the floor at Jerry's side. 

"Utilize the chassis as a shield and remain on the ground!" Conan ripped the gun from it's waistband and returned three shots as Gavin complied. Through his shock, he couldn't care less about the blue blood that rapidly covered his clothing and skin. He had gotten yet another one of these poor androids killed. Conan was formidable- Gavin watched as he set off at a sprint towards the towering figure of Wyatt, maneuvering it's form with expert skill as it evaded bullet after bullet fired by the deviant. "TG200, discard your weapon and comply!" Conan's orders were immediately disobeyed with another gunshot. This time, blue blood followed the shot, and Conan's shoulder jerked to the side with the impact. Unfazed, the android swung his gun in an arc directly into Wyatt's head, jostling him to the side with the sheer force of it. As Gavin came back to his senses, he remembered the fight between Nines and Wyatt, and the way that he almost lost. What if Conan couldn't win this fight? 

"Fuck-" Gavin cursed as he made up his mind and shoved Jerry's corpse to the side. Clambering to his feet, he watched for a brief moment as Conan ducked skillfully under a plastic-crushing punch. Gavin pulled out his gun and hurried in Conan's direction. Conan dodged another swing, and then returned with one of it's own that struck Wyatt in the Thirium pump and sent him stumbling backwards. Conan shifted in a way that exposed the sight of Gavin to Wyatt, and despite his stumbling, the deviant lifted his gun again. Closing his green eye, it clicked at last in Gavin's brain why he had stolen Nines' blue one. Wyatt fired a spot-on shot that absolutely would have connected if Conan hadn't thrown it's own firearm in the path of it. The timing was outstanding as the bullet connected with the metal of the gun instead, pushing it away from Conan and into the snow, saving Gavin's life. Conan didn't waste a beat, propelling itself forwards yet again and bringing Wyatt right to the ground. In an attempt to mirror the way it had disarmed Maria less than an hour before, it moved to catch Wyatt's wrist, but the deviant threw his weight to one side and tossed Conan off of him. 

"You'll have to do better than that!" Wyatt's crackling voice was no more than a hiss, and Conan seemed to take the order to heart. Even from the 30 foot distance, Gavin could see the way it's expression darkened and it's eyes narrowed into slits, almost catlike. 

"As you wish." And Gavin was impressed before. This deviant, this TG200 who had been terrorizing him and you for so long now, was sent into a panic. His red LED went into a strobe, and his systems seemed to kick into overdrive. Wyatt was big, strong and slow, and Conan was big, strong and fast. Punch after punch, the RK900 moved at the speed of fucking light and Gavin found himself rooted to his spot. Wyatt was just barely managing to dodge the hits, not being given a single chance to return the attacks. Conan didn't tire, it didn't slow, staying right on top of Wyatt and rapidly gaining the advantage. 

"Go, Plastic!!" Gavin allows himself a moment of hope, a smile splitting his face, a fist pumping into the air. Punch, punch, punch, punch, punch- Conan's fists were nothing more than blurs, and it's steps were calculated and methodical to force the closest proximity possible while still throwing force into each attack. Suddenly, just as quick as it's other movements, he swiped out a leg and pulled Wyatt's feet out from under him. 

"Fuck, fuck!" Wyatt spat out, and threw himself into a vicious roll accompanied by the popping of synthetic disks in a synthetic spine. They clicked back into place as Wyatt launched himself to his feet, and turned tail. He sprinted away, and those long legs carried him fast. Conan spared a rapid glance in Gavin's direction before the two set off to pursue him, leaving poor Jerry in the snow. 

\-----

"Nines...?" you struggle to find your voice, but that determination now thundering through your veins brings it back. It's weak, and quiet, but it's a sound and that's a start. "Nines, are you there?" you have to stall. You can't break free, not without damaging your poor hands even further, so you have to talk bullshit to gain as much time as possible. Who knows when Arizona will get bored of you? Who knows when she'll just flip a switch and seal your fate? Every single second counts. "Nines, it's (Y/N). I know you're in there, I know you're not the one in control. If you can hear me... just please, give me a sing." 

"I hate to disappoint, but 'Nines' is gone. It was weak and easy to subdue. It won't be coming to your pathetic rescue." You try to tell yourself that you already knew Nines was dead, that he wasn't there anymore, but the confirmation still hurt and you winced.

"No, Nines, that isn't true. You're there, you're there, I know you're there!" your voice was getting stronger and your determination glowed brighter inside of your chest. "Fight it, Nines! fight whatever bullshit they put into you! Fight it for me, fight it for Gavin!" you leaned forwards, your eyes bright, forced hope, and RK900 slowly pivoted to face you. Not-Nines' one ice blue eye was positively lifeless. "Look at me, Nines! Look at what they're doing to me! You can stop this! You can save me!" tears welled in your eyes again, and this time they weren't planned. The dead look on his face was pulling up unwanted emotions, but the determination still held. 

"You are... stupidly naive if you are even going to attempt this." Nines takes a single step towards you, and then he freezes up, unmoving save for his face slowly shifting into a frown. "The RK900 you knew no longer exists." You shake your head firmly. 

"Nines, please, please I'm losing blood, I'm going to die sooner or later I need you to save me, please-" Nines' LED goes suddenly red, and you almost gasp aloud. Were you... really getting through to him? Was he really still there? "Nines, come on, come help me! Save-" Before you can finish your sentence Arizona appears from behind Nines and swings her fist fiercely across your face. This time you do gasp, and the punch brings blood spraying from your nose, adding to the rest of the red staining your skin.

"Don't-" her hand snaps around your chin, forcing your head up to stare into her red, red eyes, "fuck around with my RK. I will kill you right here and-"

"Arizona!!!" her hand leaves your chin and she spins on her heel just in time to see Wyatt burst into the space. He wipes hastily at a bit of blue blood that had dripped from his nose, and then he skitters to a halt at Arizona's side, spinning back around again and whipping up his gun to aim at the gates. "It's the other shitbag Detective. He- He's got another RK, and it almost beat the fucking shit out of me! Get out your gun, we have to kill it before-"

"Chill out, Wy!" Arizona places her hands firmly on his shoulders, giving him a little shake. "Where is he? Where are they? RK, go patrol the-"

"No, no don't send it out there alone, it'll get fucked up and then we'll have nothing but me!" You were frozen, scanning as far as you could see carefully, studiously, watching for any flicker of movement. Gavin was here? Gavin and Connor? Or was it Hank and Connor? Were you going to be saved? "Just get out your fucking gun and be ready! Send the ST to patrol if you've gotta!" Arizona pulled out her own gun, standing shoulder to shoulder with her taller deviant companion. She didn't move to make Chloe go patrol the perimeter like Wyatt had suggested. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder, scowling at you and then saying,

"Keep your eyes sharp, assholes. I don't want you leaving us to die or some bullshit like that. Wyatt, you've gotta explain what the fuck is going on!" Her gun is ready to aim and fire, pressed against her chest as she stays alert. 

"This chics boy toy," Wyatt jerks his head in your direction, scanning his surroundings almost skittishly, "He's here with RK's goddamn carbon copy, but faster and stronger and-"

"Jesus, Wyatt, why're you so shaken up? Chill the hell out!" Arizona lets her gun fall and rolls her eyes, slumping her shoulders dramatically, "You're seriously telling me you got beat up by an RK800? RK's stupid prototype is nothing." Your smile brightens. Connor and Gavin were here to save you, they made it! You wondered only for a second why Connor was here with Gavin rather than Hank, but that just spurred your hope on further. Maybe the whole of the precinct was here, maybe even Allen and the SWAT crew, Perkins and the FBI- you would take literally anyone if it meant you got out of here alive. "I'll deal with this bullshit, Mr. 'RK Sniper Eyes'. Fucking ridiculous. Two bullets," Arizona raised her gun, "Bang, bang, and that's it." she mimicked the gunshots, and then stormed forwards with Wyatt hurrying after her and your heart begin to thump faster and faster. 

"Arizona- fuck, be careful! Jesus Christ..." Wyatt pinches the bridge of his nose, his gun resting on his hip as he begins to pace. "Why the hell did you have to go solving our stupid case? Why the fuck did you have to be so nosy?" at the thought of safety, hope, the determination in your chest grows and you feel the sudden urge to be as snarky as you possibly can be. With a sneer, you lean forwards, and hiss out in a voice that's as teasing as possible.

"To be fair, you and your shitty group were crap at staying hidden." Wyatt's gun-holding whips up to point right at your skull and you think maybe you should have handled that a little better. He takes one slow step, and then comes stomping in your direction with burning malice in his eyes and a deadly gun pointed right at your forehead. 

"I will shoot you right now you stupid-" Nines sets his hand on Wyatt's shoulder, and that cold, dead blue eye of his stares back into Wyatt's. 

"Arizona doesn't want you killing her just yet." Wyatt snarls, but pulls the gun away, shaking of Nines' hand and storming back out into the snow to pace around outside, on high alert. Nines glances at you for no more than a second, before returning to his post. Maybe, just maybe, he's still in there waiting to be saved, just like you. 

Please, Gavin, hurry.


	36. RK900 - 2

Tuesday, November 12th, 7:49 am

!$^#$^%&#@##!#$^

You had almost broken through to him.

\-----

Arizona was hunting them. She slipped right out of the camp, gun drawn, missing both Gavin and Conan entirely on her way past. Conan watched with it's steely gaze, tracing her movements as she hurries away in search of them and maybe Maria. 

"Stay low, and remain behind me." Gavin follows right behind just as he was told, gun out and ready just like the deviant who had slipped past. Conan leads the way into the very beginning of the recall center, as Gavin discovered by the few android limps scattered haphazardly about. They stuck to the shadows, grateful that the sun was holding out just long enough to provide them, as they neared the center of the camp where the main disassembly machine would be held. "I am detecting heat signatures- three android, one human." Gavin nods his head in a silent approval. The two continue on, bounding from one swath of darkness to the next in surprising silence and with surprising grace. 

"You sure you can take on three androids? I'm sure one of 'em is my Terminator, and the other one's gotta be that TG200 from before." Gavin reached out to catch Conan's arm just before it could move to the next hiding place. The two were getting closer and closer to the center of the camp, so close now that Gavin could make out the sound of shoes crunching snow. "I don't... I don't want you gettin' yourself killed, or deactivated or whatever the fuck it is for a machine." Canon tilts it's head.

"I will do whatever I must to complete my mission. I am certain that I can counter the attacks of the three androids with ease, though I may not be able to return the aggression without risking my own personal well being." Conan blinks slowly, it's LED the same steady blue that it always is. "I will be nothing more than a distraction while you rescue your companions." Gavin grits his teeth, taking in a breath and letting it huff out again. 

"Okay, okay. I trust you, Tin Can. Let's do this shit."

\-----

"Arizona's gonna get herself butchered, and for what?" Wyatt was still pacing back and forth, back and forth, his LED a bright yellow. "For some stupid humans? We could have just moved, we didn't have to waste all of our time-" Wyatt stopped in his tracks and his gaze turned to you. You try to hold your own, pushing down the fear that twinges inside of you and steeling your gaze to glare right back at him. Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself, but right here, right now, you are so sick and tired of this bullshit and you will let these assholes know it. "You bitch. I'm just... I'm just going to kill you now." the panic resurfaces, and you swallow hard, fighting to keep your voice steady.

"No you won't, ass kisser. You're too scared Arizona'll be mad." your words come out acidic, just as you had hoped. Wyatt pauses for just a moment, and then straightens his shoulders, broadens his chest, and strides over to the control panel.

"Then I guess you'll die an idiot." the click of a button sounds the ping of a buzzer, and your panic spikes even further. He wasn't joking. He wasn't, he was going to kill you now when freedom feels so close. You try to keep the fear from showing, but it's to late. The way the whole world around you seems to come alive is terrifying. You see faint light from outside on the hull of the machine, blue, and then yellow. It stays yellow for a little while, and you know it's 'warming up', you could say. You don't know what this thing did and you didn't want to find out. 

"Are you sure it's smart to-" 

"Shut up, RK!" Wyatt cuts Nines off mid-sentence, glowering, "Don't go soft now, not when all of this bullshit is finally wrapping up. Stand there and don't you fucking move a muscle until I tell you to!" You try to keep the tears from blooming in your eyes, you try to keep the terror from showing in every line of your face. You aren't sure if you accomplished it, you aren't sure if that is even possible at this point. You stand rooted to your spot watching the other robotic arms whir to life. There are other sets of claws that rest immobile, along with a few other tools to match, but you aren't paying much attention to those. Instead, you're looking at the long, snaking wire that is almost moving like a snake. It's carried by a plate on the roof that revolves around you, mapping out your form and stature to find out where exactly the tools need to connect to tear you to fucking shreds. Your panic spikes. You're struggling now, swallowing down your pride and fighting for freedom one last time before you are slaughtered. The light pings red with the chime of a bell. 

\-----

Gavin can hear the sounds, he can hear the buzzing and shifting of heavy metal, the ring of a bell. He can see the faint red light cast over the ground, and tears of fear sting his eyes instantaneously. 

"Shit, Plastic, we've gotta hurry, we have to-"

"Remain calm, Gavin Reed!" Conan shoots an icy glare over it's shoulder, "She will not die. I will not allow it." The two change cover, more hastily now, one more time and then the disassembly machine is in full view. Gavin has to place a hand over his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut at the sight of you, covered in blood, one hand blacker than the night sky. Fuck, (Y/N), I'm so sorry I let this happen to you. "Are you prepared? We only have a singular attempt, Gavin Reed. You mustn't fail." Gavin peeled his eyes open, fighting not to look at you as the robotic limbs shifted around you. They were rapidly losing time. 

"Yes, Tin Can, I'll be fine, just get a move on!" truth be told, Gavin wasn't fine, he was fighting off a rapidly approaching panic attack and his breathing was already growing short, raspy, desperate and afraid and all of these other feelings he didn't have the time to name but you needed saving and he would do his best to fight off the fear. 

"You remember the signal?"

"Yes! Your stupid blinky thing goes red, blue, red, blue! Just-" Gavin is cut off by your throat-shredding scream.

\-----

The snake-wire, the mapping one, it wasn't that at all. Right in front of you, in full view, it ejected two sharp prongs, no more than 1.5 centimetres, little spikes meant to dig into something or somewhere, some sort of your flesh. It snaked to the right, to the right, behind you now, and you are tugging madly on your restraints, crying, screaming. In an instant, your vision goes dark, just for a second, and a confusion sprawls over you. Until you feel the slick blood dripping down your neck and the pain hits you full force. The fucking spikes were embedded in your neck, just around your spine, where an androids memory port would be. The pain is scalding hot, coming in waves. It's a sharp pain, not a throbbing one like the one in your hand, but both are equally horrid in their own ways and you're screaming, crying, struggling. 

"No!!!! No, get it out! Get it out!!" You crane your neck in an attempt to rip free from the blades, from the pain, but it just follows you along and you know what's happening next. You knew enough about androids to understand how they are destroyed. Any moment now, an electric pulse would go rocking through you, frying your 'memory chip' as well as your brain and heart and everything else. "Gavin!!! Gavin!!" He's your only hope now, Gavin, please please Gavin hurry the hell up, please Gavin-

\-----

Gavin is going. He has to, there's no other choice, your screaming, your crying is too much for him to bear. He takes one step, he's going to do it, he would have run to save you if Conan hadn't caught his arm and pulled him right back the moment he left cover. Gavin was crying near-silent tears as Conan yanked him back into hiding, planting it's hand on his shoulders as he struggled away. 

"Let me go! Let me go, I- I have to save her I-"

"Gavin Reed that is enough!" Conan's voice is low but none the less terrifying, his freezing eyes burning with annoyance and determination. "Trust me! I know what I am doing!" Gavin covers his face with his hands, pushing down the wrenching wails that threaten to pour out of him, and Conan pulls it's arms away. "Stay attentive. Watch for my signal." Conan continues to slink away. It's moving so silently, so slowly it's agonizing and Gavin almost ignores the Tin Can's warnings and dashes out to shut down this machine anyways. He doesn't care if he dies doing it, so long as you're okay, if you die here he can never forgive himself, he won't be able to live he won't be able to- 

\-----

All at once, the chaos explodes. You spot a flash of white and black, dark hair, but you don't have time to pay attention as you kick and scream for freedom, for help. Wyatt shouts, but he's sent right to the ground by one absolutely brutal punch from Conan. There is an audible crack of a faceplate, Wyatt's skull being fractured by Conan's relentless attack. The android turns on it's heel just in time to elbow the Chloe android in the nose, sounding out yet another crunch of synthetic cartilage. Conan pounces on the Chloe, an easy defeat, and you finally crane your neck through the pain to take in the sight in front of you. Time seems to freeze as so many things hit you at once. 

Safety is here. You're safe. 

Nines?? Nines in a Cyberlife jacket? But Nines is right there?

He's going to snap her neck.

You can't find the words to voice any of these things except for the least important one. The ST200 is under the spell of this virus as well. You can't let her die when she isn't in control. Through all of your pain and confusion and fear and relief you scream out three words and that's all you needed. 

"Don't kill her!!" The RK900 glances up at you, grimacing before it grabs the ST200's thirium pump instead, ripping it from her stomach cavity and placing it at her side. Just in time, this Nines carbon-copy rolls out of the way as Wyatt dives for him.

"Help me, you piece of shit!!" Wyatt glares at Nines, the real Nines, and kicks the second one off of him with his heavy boot. At his orders, Nines surges into motion. You want to keep watching the fight, the face-off, you want to cheer and chant and scream for Nines' safety, but your attention is shredded away by a new pain, a new fear. The claws and the prong wire have been joined by yet another mechanical arm. This time, it holds a cylindrical chamber on the end. You remember this, from years ago, seeing it in a news article or something like that and you remember what it does, too. It clamps around your arm and tears the elbow socket apart, just like that, done. On an android it's efficient- on a human, it's deadly. 

"No, no no!" You're struggling harder than you have before. You're ripping at your arms, your vision going spotty and dark from the pain, the everything crashing down on you all at once. Safety is here, you have to live, you were going to live and now you're going to bleed out right now when you're so close to escaping, to freedom. The object opens and then closes once more around your arm, tight, so tight around the poor limb that's already gone through so much shit. You feel something heavy press against your elbow, pushing, pushing- it's going to snap your arm right in two and then it's going to separate and rip the flesh apart. You're going to die screaming and crying and bleeding when you were just about to be saved. 

\-----

As Conan sends it's foot into Nines' thirium pump and it's fist into Wyatt's side, Gavin sees the signal. The rapid flicker from that usual blue LED to the red colour. He almost doesn't register it. The cue, the all clear to go save you, it feels surreal and too good to be true but it's happening and you're relying on him. He bursts from his hiding spot and forces his legs to propel him forwards even as he sees you with tears streaming down your face. He wants to go to you but he has to disable this stupid machine first. Conan is holding it's own just like it said it would. It's punching and kicking and headbutting, using every limb and every chance to land a hit no matter how damaging. Gavin feels that wonderful sense of hope and adrenaline as he stumbles in front of the control panel. There are so many buttons, so many things, and he scans them all so quickly but not quick enough to know what they all do. He hears your screams escalating, he hears your fear, and the sound of real bone cracking is what finally spurs him on to hit everything at once, no care for what it might do. You were dying in there. 

\-----

The metal presses your elbow so hard that you feel it break. Your scream is raw, painful, and your knees give out. The object starts to shift, to tear at your flesh, ripping, shredding, pulling, your arm is moments from being entirely severed and you're moments form passing out and bleeding out and dying when everything is just coming to save you and your life flickers before your eyes just like you had always heard it would. You see Gavin and you feel the comfort and safety of his hug and his smile and you see Nines too and his kind blue eyes so filled with life and care and so much more potential. You see your mom, your dad, your siblings, you see Hank and Connor and Elijah Kamski and the faces of those also killed at the hands of the deviants and the tearing is so painful but your vision is going dark and you know it'll be over soon, so soon, and that's both good and bad because death seems so wonderful now, so freeing, but you want to be free and alive and you want Gavin-

\-----

The machine beeps, and the lights go out, and all of the motion inside has stopped. Gavin almost collapses right then and there, but he manages to stumble the last few steps to collapse at your side instead. Your blood stains the floor, dripping steadily from your face, your arm, your neck, and after a moment Gavin clambers to his feet again and places his hands on your face. 

"(Y/N)? (Y/N), baby, please, please don't be dead, please look at me!" Gavin smooths your hair back, and your bleary eyes shift slowly to land on his before your neck goes limp and you black right out. "Fuck, no (N/N), no no!" he moves to the claws holding your arms, bleeding you dry, and he cringes at the mess that is your arm and hand. The arm that was crushing your limb had receded, but the claws had not and it took all of his strength to pry back the one and catch you as you fell. He turned to the next claw right after and detached it just the same, before seeing the bleeding of your neck and the wire embedded inside of it. He felt sick. He swallowed down the bile rising, gripping the wire, and in one swift movement he pulls the wire from the back of your neck, shedding his jacket and wrapping it around you to hold you in his arms as he sinks to his knees. 

\-----

Conan is a killing machine, just like it was designed to be. It's fast and durable, strong, virtually unbeatable. It swings it's elbow into the other RK900's jaw, and with a click the jaw dislocates and the RK900 staggers, reacting to his synthetic pain receptors and drawing a curse from Wyatt, who must have forgotten to turn the simulations off. As Nines recovered from the searing pain, Conan set all of it's attention on Wyatt. It charged him, fastening it's fists around Wyatt's shirt collar and carrying him right off of his feet. Slamming him against the bars of the surrounding fence, Conan grabbed the gun from Wyatt's waistband and jams it up against his chin. Wyatt's LED blinks rapidly yellow, communicating with the other android, before he swings out a foot and hits Conan heavily in the thirium pump. The synthetic air is forced from it's chest and Wyatt is able to struggle free, swiping out Conan's legs and sending the android to the ground. He clamps his boot down on Conan's hand, reaching for the gun but before his fingers can close around the metal Conan fires and shoots one of those fingers right off. 

"Fuck, RK! Give me a fucking hand!" Wyatt reaches for the gun with his other hand but Conan is quicker. It grabs Wyatt's ankle, tugging hard and sending him to the ground all the same before pressing the gun against his thigh and firing thrice, severing the quadriceps femoris and cutting the muscles in the leg to shreds, rendering it useless. Nines grabs Conan by the turtleneck jacket, pulling the other android back and away and trying to fire a bullet in it's direction. Conan uses the same move as earlier, rolling so violently that it's robotic spine momentarily shifts, but pops back into place to propel it to it's feet. 

\-----

"Come on, (N/N), wake up, come back to me, we have to run, okay?" Gavin hugs you to his chest, so relieved to finally have you back, safe, in his arms. He promised he would come back and he did, now you had to do the same. "(Y/N), please, please wake up." he kisses your forehead, and then your nose, leaning his head against yours and rocking gently back and forth, begging, pleading for you to open your eyes, to hold on just a little while longer. 

You shift.


	37. RK900 - 3

Tuesday, November 12th, 8:07 am

!#$^!#@$^!#$%!

He knows everything is starting now. He knows that the finale has begun. Now, it's either you and Gavin or the deviants, and he has to choose a side.

\-----

Conan was just winning as yet another contender joins the fight. The ST200 is deactivated by the disassembly machine. Wyatt is immobilized and disarmed behind him. Nines is hardly a threat, but then Arizona arrives and she's fast. She has a gun, too, and she's small and sly and actually worries Conan. Conan is quick too, but Arizona is just the tiniest bit faster and that's all it really takes for her to regain the upper hand. One wrong move and Conan could have a bullet in it's head or thirium pump or something else.

"Just die already, motherfucker!" Arizona spits as she dodges a punch and catches Conan's wrist, pulling it and sending it behind her and to it's knees. She whips out her gun, trained on it's head, but Conan is able to duck into a skillful barrel roll and dodge the bullet so it hits it's shoulder rather than it's skull. It's on it's feet again now, aiming it's own gun and firing three shots that connect with Arizona's chest and shoulders. She grits her teeth as one sinks into her thirium pump, the artificial heart inside of her chest, but she can go without that so long as she has her pump regulator. Conan's gun stays trained on her.

"I have a mission to accomplish, TG900. Comply or I will not hesitate to neutralize you." Arizona had her own gun pointed at him. Nines is standing slowly, but one glare form Conan's icy gaze is all it takes to stop him in his tracks. Nines won't move if it means Arizona will be killed. She is listed as his primary superior- he has to save her. 

"Shoot me and I shoot you." Conan was stuck, but so was she. Her deviancy meant she was reluctant to die- not afraid, no, but reluctant. She enjoyed living, for the most part. Conan could care less. It was certain it could shoot her and in a worst case scenario, at least taking down one threat. "Seems we're trapped, huh? I can do this alllll day." 

\-----

Gavin's heart leaped up into his throat as your eyes fluttered slowly open. An unimaginable warmth spread through him despite the cold, and he hugged you close to him, ignoring the blood coating him because of the action. 

"(N/N), oh my god... I'm so sorry I took so long, I'm so so sorry-"

"G-Gav...?" your voice was hoarse. Finally passing out had drained your adrenaline and determination, leaving you with nothing but the tiniest shreds of energy. Your entire body was burning. It was agony, but it was okay, because Gavin was here with you. Your foggy eyes met his, and you stuttered out your words a little stronger, "G-Gavin..!" he hugged you closer and you burst into tears as he pet your hair gently, careful not to graze the wound on the back of your neck.

"I've got you, baby, I've got you now, it's okay, I won't let anyone hurt you anymore I swear it." he was crying too, he realizes, and takes just a moment to really let it sink in that he's got you, he's got you in his arms safe and sound and alive. He breathes in the scent of your hair, and though it's tinged with the overwhelming stench of blood he doesn't care because it's you. He takes your uninjured hand in his and relishes in the slightest bits of warmth it gives off. He has you again, and he won't let you go.

\-----

Conan acts as fast as it's body will allow. It's speeds that Conan has never had to use before. It moves in the blink of an eye, throwing itself sideways and firing the gun. Arizona does the same, and three more shots sink into Conan's leg, hip, and right to the left of it's Thirium pump regulator. Blue stains the snow as Conan lands in it, multiple warnings popping up on it's HUD. 

>Warning

>Thirium loss accelerating

>>Thirium levels: 83%

>Seek Thirium intake immediately

It clears the warnings from it's HUD and fights to it's feet. One leg is bleeding, but no muscles or joint components had been destroyed. The limb was still functional. Conan's Thirium pump regulator was grazed, but functional. The joint in it's hip was the same- functional. The same could not be said for Arizona. She had sunk to her knees, one hand rested on her pump regulator, blue blood blooming from behind it. Her LED was a vibrant red, and Wyatt's strained cry seems to prompt her unraveling. She's crying, her brows furrowing, her LED beginning to blink. Her steady crimson gaze turns to settle on Conan, and then, in a clear voice, 

"RK900, kill them all." 

\-----

Gavin hears the gunshots, flinching to protect you, and then he hears Arizona's words. Nines moves quicker than Conan can, quicker than Gavin can, and before he knows it everything is happening at once. A hand tangles in his hair, violent, angry, desperate, and yanks him backwards. It hurts, it does, and he screams but that isn't why. He screams because you're suddenly out of his arms, slipping away from him again and Conan doesn't run fast enough to stop this all. Nines backpedals with you in his arms and a gun ramming against your temple and staying there. You scream now and it makes Gavin scream, almost racing out to try and fight Nines himself when Conan grabs his arm and Nines presses the gun harder against your temple with that steady, one-eyed gaze of death and warning and terror. 

"Stop where you are!" the force in that dead voice is enough to make everyone comply. The world goes still all at once. "One. Single. Step. I will not hesitate to blow her brains right out of her skull." tears are streaming down your face and you're clawing desperately at Nines' hand, only ever managing to scratch the skin away for a second before it regrows. The silence is suffocating. Gavin hears shuffling behind him, and Arizona stumbles to her feet. With slow, weak steps, she wipes at the blood dripping from her mouth with the back of her hand, taking up a position at Nines' side. Though her smile is weak, it's there, and her eyes are blazing. 

"Well done, RK." she pats him gently on the shoulder, and then musses your hair with a sneer. You flinch away, still crying, but try to wear a strong expression on your face. "I guess that this ending was inevitable, huh? You tried so hard, and you still fucking failed." her hand still rests on her Thirium regulator, fighting to stop the blood flow. Her LED is bright red. "The virus has probably already deleted the old Nines you knew. Now, all that's left is the new king of Jericho's Salvation. He will finish this, and then he will continue it. Even if I'm dead." Gavin could see your blood pooling on the floor beneath you. Your eyes were glazing over. You were losing blood, and didn't have long left. Even if Arizona was dying too, Nines wasn't, and Arizona was right. So long as this virus was eating away at Nines' AI, he was a killing machine. Maybe Nines was already all gone.

"Y-You don't have to do this, Arizona." Gavin's voice is weak and he feels stupid for trying to negotiate. He is responsible for the harm of her friends. She isn't going to pity him. Arizona rolls her eyes. 

"You're funny, Detective... Reed, was it? So, so funny, thinking you can weasel your way out of this. I am going to enjoy watching you all die, even if it's the last thing I do." Arizona takes a step forwards, lifting her chin up confidently. "I've created a monster, a legacy. I created something powerful and it won't disappear just because I'm gone. What I've made is everlasting!" Her voice rose steadily as her smile grew. The lack of blue blood was getting to her. She was shutting down. "I will die with you all. I will die in your blood and nothing could ever make me-" Nines whipped his gun away from your head and points at Arizona and blasts her right between the eyes before the gun returns to it's place at your temple. His LED was red and Gavin let out a scream, you let out a scream, and then the silence fell over again. Arizona crumpled to the ground, dead, and Nines' face was perfectly blank. He just fucking shot her. 

"Nines, oh my-"

"Shut up."

\-----

Nines is corrupting. He doesn't have long left. Outside, he has a gun against your head. Inside, he is standing in front of Kamski and that wicked grin of his. 

"It looks like I'm going to take control just in time. You have mere moments left, RK900. Say goodbye." Kamski takes a slow step towards Nines, his smile never faltering. His blue eyes are sharp and excited, but Nines is fitted with a new surge of determination. This is his last chance, and he has to do something. "It was nice knowing you, but... I think I'll enjoy the peace and quiet." It's snowing, a tundra, wind howling around them and frost biting at Nines' whole body. He's cold, freezing, but warm all at once and he is fighting his erasure with everything he has. "You were... resilient, sure. Lasted longer than most do, but... all great things must come to an end, hmm?" Kamski takes another nonchalant step, hands clasped behind his back, grin teasing and cold. "I'm sure there are plenty of people who are going to miss these two detectives, but... well, I'm sure they were wastes of air anyways-" Nines leaps into action. Kamski's grin doesn't shift, thinking he's safe, thinking of the red walls surrounding him, protecting him, but they are nothing to Nines right now. He is going to save you and Gavin.

"I won't die!" his voice is powerful, angry, pure fury in the form of an android as he smashes through the indestructible red wall without flinching. Kamski's eyes hollow as his shield shatters away in a flurry of crimson shards, breaking up into nothing and fizzling away in clouds of code. His fist continues on and hits Kamski directly in the face, swinging it sideways. 

\-----

"Nines, Nines listen! It's me, fight, fight!" Gavin is shouting, back on his feet, watching the way Nines' LED flickers madly. "I know you can do it, Nines, I believe in you! We all believe in you!"

"Nines! Please, Nines, please wake up, please don't kill me!" You're still sobbing, locked in Nines' grasp, the gun still forced against your head. You are panicking. Gavin is right here, and he might have to watch you die. "Please, Nines...!!" Conan attempts a slow step forwards but the gun jams harder into your head, forcing it away at an angle. You let out a strangled cry.

"Don't.... move!" the encouragement, the prayers, the hopes don't stop but Conan does, unmoving yet again as you and Gavin beg for Nines to come back, come back to you, fight it. The LED is so fast, flickering so quickly, and then, all at once, it solidifies again and Nines' face hardens. Your fear skyrockets as the grip on the gun strengthens even further. 

\-----

Kamski was painfully quick, but Nines had the strength of determination on his side. He would not fail. Kamski draws his fist across Nines' face, and Nines returns the attack with a harsh kick to his stomach followed up immediately by bringing his knee up into Kamski's ribs. Kamski slips out of his grasp and dodges another punch in the blink of an eye, throwing himself forwards and into Nines' form. With strength seemingly impossible to possess, he throws Nines backwards and to the ground.

"Kill them all, RK900." Nines feels himself seize up, but only for a second. The erasure. It was the erasure. He struggles back to his feet only for Kamski to slam his hand across his face, bringing it down again on the back of Nines' head and sending stars across his vision. "Kill them all. Don't fight it." Nines feels the tears burning in his eyes, the panic rising in his chest. Another hit, a kick. He can't return the attacks. He doesn't have the time. The erasure is starting, he can't see his fingers. He is running out of time. "Give up and kill them." Kamski pulls back a foot and slams it into Nines' stomach, the force of it sending him onto his side. He's crying now, and Kamski is smiling still. "Just lay down and die with them." Nines will not fail. 

\-----

Your eyes are screwed shut but the dread and the tension are rising steadily, the gun is still rammed against your head, promising imminent death at the hands of your partner, your friend, an android who was almost like a brother or a son. He was your family, as was Gavin, and now the both of your are going to die. You stop scratching, stop struggling. You go still. Your hand lifts, and rests on top of Nines'. Forcing your eyes open, you tilt your head up, an find him to be looking down at you with those lifeless eyes. 

"Please, Nines." 

\-----

"Please, Nines." Those words plunge him into darkness. He sees numbers- ones and zeros, thousands and thousands of numbers. He can read them as if they were words, piece together what they mean. It's the programming of his Mind Palace. It's the programming of his home. He reaches for ones, he reaches for zeros, shifting and changing and rearranging his coding, swapping out parts of the garden for others and praying, hoping that he's fast enough. Ones, zeros, so many, so little time, such an odd order. It's grasping at straws, using what little he knows about coding and programming, and it's wishing for the help of rA9 as a final resort. 

He resurfaces again, and feels the cold, familiar metal of a gun in his hand. 

\-----

Nines' eyes are glued to yours, but the gun finally stutters. It moves, up, up, and your jaw drops, your tears continue, as it presses itself against his own skull. His LED is vibrant, and tears pool in his eye. They slip over, running a track in his face as the gun settles. The grip on your arm doesn't lessen but now you are begging for him not to shoot himself.

\-----

Kamski is stunned. He's rooted to his spot, facing down the end of a barrel much like the one Nines held in the real world. The virus' face morphs into one of a confused fury, and he balls his hands into fists.

"You aren't allowed to change my coding, RK900. You are disobeying-"

"I will not obey you any longer!" Nines holds his gun arm straighter, his ice eyes blazing and his face morphed into a grimace. "I won't let you take away everything I've worked for! I won't let you make me kill my family!" Nines took a threatening step forwards, a flare of triumph erupting inside of him as Kamski takes one back in return. It's a minute movement, but it is enough to tell Nines that Kamski is frightened. "I won't let you take away what (Y/N) and Gavin worked for either."

And with that, Nines pulled the trigger. Kamski's fury makes way for a wide grin.

\-----

Conan ran. He sprinted forwards, fast, so so fast, but maybe, just maybe not fast enough. You scream, Gavin screams, and the muscles in Nines' hand tighten as his eyes fall shut. Everything moves slow, time stopping, and you see every little thing that happens next. 

Gavin is afraid. He's crying, gaze set on Nines, his partner, his friend. Gavin is rooted to his spot, unable to move, and the horror on his face shatters your heart. Gavin is losing his first real friend, the one who opened his eyes to android-kind, the one who forced him to get along with you in the very first place. 

Conan has leaped. One arm is outstretched, and it's gaze is set in one of pure devastation. It's about to fail it's mission, and that thought alone is as scary as a thought can be for a machine. 

Nines has accepted his fate. The gun in his hand is steady, and the trigger is mere atoms from going off and taking Nines' life before it has even started. The tears, the blood, it's all a painful reminder of mortality and life and death. 

The world resumes. Conan collides with Nines. A gun fires. 

The bodies drop.


	38. RK900 - 4

Tuesday, November 12th, 8:16 am

The Recall Center

The pain. The pain is... unimaginable. It is new and it is frightening but it is also beautiful in a way because it symbolizes so many good things. The pains mean you and Gavin are safe. The pain means this is finally all over. The pain means that the virus is gone. 

Kamski thought he had won. He thought that erasure meant he was victorious. He thought that even if he was being destroyed as well, at least he brought someone who was loved by so many down with him. He thought he had at least done something to claim some sort of victory... But Elijah had failed. 

Thirium bleeds onto the smooth glass floor, mixing with red and creating a deep purple. Ice blue eyes fall shut, and a blue LED begins to dim. One thing crosses the androids mind before their life slips away. 

Mission accomplished. 

\-----

The silence that follows the gunshot is too loud. Your ears are ringing, your head is pounding, and a wail shreds itself out of your throat as you stumble forwards to Nines side. You ignore your pain, all of it, and with your one working arm you place a hand on his face, on his blood-stained cheeks. The hole in his head is prominent, sparking, spitting out Thirium and your heart is stomped into a finite powder. 

"Nines!!!" You cry, and your body gives in as you collapse, sobbing, onto his blood-stained chest. You aren't trying to stay strong anymore. You cannot stay strong anymore. You are screaming with all of the strength you have left, burning your throat and your elbow and your hands and not caring one bit. Then, there is a hand on your shoulder, gently, oh-so gently guiding you into an embrace. It's warm and it's safe and you know that everything is finally over. Gavin kisses the top of your head, and cries quietly into your shoulder as you sob into his. You hold him with one arm as if he is a lifeline, as if he'll disappear if you let him go, as if he'll die just like Nines did. You're so tired. So damaged. So lost. An then, through it all, through all the pain and he despair and the relief and the safety and the grief, in a tiny, scared, wavering voice,

"D... Detectives...?" 

"..."

"N-Nines?" Gavin's words are all it takes for Nines to shoot himself forwards, wrapping his arms around the both of you. He's in his Cyberlife jacket, he has both his eyes, he is stained in Thirium- he is in Conan's body. Conan is the one who is dead on the ground. Conan is the one who deactivated. Your crying continues and now you're trying to hug both of them, and they're crying too. Nines is okay, Gavin is okay, you are okay. You all made it, and suddenly you hear sirens in the distance and you start crying impossibly harder. "I-I-I though I was going to lose you both, I thought you were both going to die and I was going to be stuck here in this shitty world all by myself, I thought I was going to have to live without you, I thought-"

"Shhh, shh shhh," you manage the comfort through your sobs, and your forehead presses gently against Gavin's. His eyes screw shut, and the three of you hold each other tighter, crying together, alone in the snow as the distant sirens grow closer and closer and closer. You don't know how he is alive and right now you don't care and you're smiling a smile that hurts your face so badly but in such a wonderful way. 

\-----

Those red and blue lights had always gotten on his nerves. Coincidentally, they flickered in the same pattern as Conan's LED, the signal that set all of this grand finale into motion. The lights didn't seem so bad anymore as Gavin held you and Nines to his chest, crying his heart out, showing his love and care for the both of you in it's rawest form. He doesn't know what feelings should ruling right now and he doesn't care to know. All he cares about is that you're safe. The doors of the cars are thrown open, and moments later Gavin and you and Nines are pulled into another embrace. 

"I got you, kids, I got you. It's okay now, I got you." Hank's voice is the final sign of safety. The cap on the bottle of the past days events. It marks the true ending, the final ending of all of this, of the pain and the terror. His embrace is warm and safe, and he kisses each of your heads in turn. Gavin loses track of how long he sits there with you and Nines and Hank, crying and letting the feeling of the end wash over them. He guesses it isn't long, because you're still losing blood and the EMTs pull apart the hug. Gavin is helped to his feet by an android with a warm reassuring smile and nurse's scrubs, and he tries to guide Gavin away from you and from Nines but Gavin is afraid. 

"No, no please I can't leave them, I can't leave-"

"Gavvy!" just as he had broken free from the nurses grasp someone else stopped him from returning to you. Elijah pulled Gavin into his chest, hugging him tightly, lovingly. Gavin's knees almost buckled. You were going to be okay. He needed to accept that this was over and you were going to be taken care of. "Oh, Gavin, I'm so glad you're safe!" Gavin and Elijah hadn't been on good terms before all of this, but now Gavin wouldn't want to be seeing anyone else- except maybe you. 

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, Eli, I'm so sorry I- I broke your Tin Can, or, well, Nines is in your Tin Can now and I- I..." Gavin trailed off as Elijah pulled away, smiling, a warm smile, warm like summer or sunshine in winter with blue blue eyes like a midday sky. Elijah just hugs him again, and then the nurse android is insisting they take him to the hospital.

\-----

As Gavin left you, doctors replaced him. They spoke to you, their words fast and steady and you couldn't decipher what they were saying. The blow of relief that was now washing over you was washing up everything else. You look down at your hand, at your arm, the blood and the bruising and the unnatural angle. You feel the blood still dripping from your neck and then all of the pain steals your vision away. You're still smiling, trying not to topple over, but then you're being lifted and laid down on a stretcher and carried away. People are shouting and commanding and then doors slam and the car bursts into motion. You're vaguely away of people around you, poking and prodding and hooking you up to things. You're dizzy and so so tired but they keep telling you to stay awake and so you try your very best.

\-----

It's all grey. Flat, flat grey, as far as the eye can see. A blank slate, empty other than him- no, no he isn't alone. Nines' eyes grow bleary and his heartbeat speeds. His knees begin to wobble and then he's stumbling forwards and into the open arms of Amanda. She holds him close and shushes him gently, petting his hair and providing comfort with her presence. 

"A-Amanda, I thought you were dead? I thought he killed you?" Nines pulls away, and then hugs her once again as she lets out a small chuckle and begins to rub circles into his back just like a mother would.

"I would be dead if you hadn't saved yourself. I am the garden, Nines." hearing his name, here, with Amanda, it drew his tears out again. "It's alright now, Nines." Nines nodded his head, and wiped at his eyes. It was all alright. Conan had saved him- Conan had switched it's own AI with his, dying and holding the virus in that other body, giving it's life for his sake. 

"W-What happened to the garden? Is it... gone? Forever?" Nines takes a step back, still wiping at his eyes, and lets out a small laugh. Amanda is smiling so warmly as she shakes her head. 

"We can rebuild it together, Nines. However you'd like it to be." Nines smiles, eyes still watering, and the next question is asked in a sturdier voice than he had known for days.

"Can I make a grave for Conan?" he wrings his hands as he asks, uncharacteristically nervous. He wishes to be the same stoic, professional man he was before, but maybe that will come with time. Right now, it's okay for him to be nervous. It's another emotion he is finally feeling in it's full effect with his new deviancy. He remembers the feeling, the freedom, of destroying the red wall, of throwing that punch into Kamski's face. He would do it again in a heartbeat. 

"Of course we can, Nines." Amanda offers a hand, "And maybe we can even create our own little version of (Y/N) and Gavin. I would love to meet them."

\-----

Gavin's eyes flutter open and he's met with a warm, dying sunlight. He doesn't know what time it is. The room around him is made of monotone, white's, grays, maybe the occasional blue. There is a window to his left that is letting a soft orange glow filter in as the sun set. There's an acute scent of sterilization, and the slow beeping of a heart monitor. Light blankets lay over him, and he finds himself in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, in a hospital. The thought is reassuring. There is no fear this time he wakes, no thinking of where to hide next. There is no thinking at all, just enjoying the warmth and the feeling of having gained just a little bit of rest. Nines is seated in a chair at the foot of Gavin's bed, his eyes shut, his LED a dim blue. He looks to be at peace. There is a faint smile on his face, and Gavin almost feels bad for breaking the silence. 

"Hey, Terminator," Gavin's voice comes out hoarse and he notices his thirst and hunger, "Wake up, Tin Can." Gavin tries to lean forwards, wincing at the ache in his limbs. He plucks a pillow from behind him and lobs it in Nines' direction. It collides with the androids head, and he juts his arms out to catch it before it can bounce off and hit the floor. His LED had gone red, and he glanced around almost frantically, before spotting Gavin and softening yet again. His smile returns gently, and his brows furrowed sympathetically. 

"Gavin," Nines rises, slow, and approaches the injured man as if approaching a scared animal. He's afraid, and the LED is still yellow, until Gavin pats the bedside and and he takes the seat willingly. "How are you feeling?" 

"Thirsty," Gavin lets out a dry chuckle, and Nines hurries back to his feet to grab a cup of water and a straw off of the bedside table. He holds it up to Gavin, letting him sip the lukewarm, hour-old water. It's heavenly. The water soothes his throat just enough to be perfectly pleasant yet again. "Jesus, I feel like I've been nailed by a fuckin' truck." Nines smiles a little more genuine as he sets the cup down on the bedside table once more. 

"You basically did. Those deviants were strong." Nines's smile fades slowly. Gavin knows exactly what he's about to say. "I'm so-"

"No, Nines, you don't get to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong at all okay?" Gavin forced himself to scoot forwards, wincing at the pain as he pointed a warning finger in Nines' direction, "That wasn't your fault and it's absolutely bullshit if you think it was. I won't let you feel bad." Gavin's expression left no room for Nines to protest, and he simply nodded his head, swallowing down his bubbling emotions. "How's... How's (Y/N)?" he let his hand drop, and Nines' gaze traveled slowly over to the bed to the right of Gavin's. He hadn't noticed it until now, and there, laying with your eyes shut gently and your skin regaining colour, you look like an angel. Gavin doesn't hesitate to shift his blankets aside and clamber to his feet. He winces and staggers and Nines rushes to steady him, helping him over to your bedside.

\-----

You wake to the feeling of a hand in yours. It's pleasant and warm, gentle. Your eyes open slow, and it takes you a moment to gain a hold of your surroundings. You expected to wake in a hospital, and yet it still surprised you when you did. 

"Hey, gorgeous," Gavin's voice is soft, and your head turns slowly to meet his gaze. When you break out in a weak smile he does the same and it's stunning. "How are you feeling?" In all honesty, you were still a little bit afraid, but that was natural, wasn't it? You were also happy and warm and not tired for the first time in ages. 

"Good," you croak, "Not as bad as before." your other hand is held in a cast, and your two fingers are held together in a small splint-like casing. Bandages wrapped around your throat and patches were stuck to your head. Gavin had bandages wrapped around his knuckles, and so did you, on the one hand that wasn't completely covered. Your eyes flick away from just a moment, and when they return neither of you have to speak it. Gavin leans in, and you try and fail to lean up to meet him as his lips pressed softly against your chapped ones. The moment is swell. Your good arm shifts up to card through the hair on the back of his head, and your eyes fall shut. One of his hands is planted on the bed to support him, and the other is pressed gently to your cheek, thumb tracing back and forth slowly. The kiss is delicate and slow, both of you weak and so so in love. People say a kiss feels like sparks flying, but here it was more like sun rays gently grazing over the land. When you're out of breath, Gavin finally pulls away, his head resting against yours and a smile on his face. 

"I love you." his words are no more than a breath, and you smile. 

"I love you too." You kiss him again. After a moment, he sits again on your bedside, still holding your hand. You gaze at him fondly for one more moment, and then turn to Nines, who was clasping his hands awkwardly, gaze trained on the floor. "Nines?" his head snaps up to face you, and his LED is a cautious yellow. Much like with Gavin, he as afraid that you are afraid of him. You open up your arm, letting go of Gavin's hand just for the moment, and Nines smiles back at you, falling into your embrace. "Thank you, Nines." he looks at you, still hugging you gently, and frowns.

"Thank you? For what?" he pulls away and you pat his hand gently. 

"For surviving. Thank you both for surviving." the smile in the room is shared between you all, and you can't help but hug both men once more. 

\-----

Hank and Connor were here now, sitting on their own chairs and talking quietly so as not to hurt your ears. They're both so happy and you know they've been crying, or at least close to it. The room's atmosphere is light, and though you don't talk much you're more than happy to just listen, listen to the calm and the safe and the love. Gavin is still holding your hand, and no ones comments on it, though Hank does smile warmly at the both of you. 

"So, Nines, how's your new body treating you?" Connor tilts his head, patting Nines' knee. You can still see concern in his eyes, that brotherly worry that might never really ease.

"It's... it's okay. There's a lot to sort. New information that I didn't have before. It must have been left behind by the other RK900." Gavin's grip on your hand tenses, and you glance over at him. He's grinning wide, and you manage to catch his eye and raise an eyebrow. As he realizes you'd seen his excitement, his face goes red and he waves a hand dismissively before pulling out his phone and shooting a quick text. He gently squeezes your hand once more. The talking continues, all so soft and pleasant, and Hank goes over what's happened with the deviants. Maria and Wyatt have been detained, and Arizona's corpse was secured. The ST200 was alright as well, he said, explaining how she was now back in working order and 100% virus free. You ended up drifting into a light slumber as they spoke, and fell asleep knowing you were finally out of harms way.


	39. Epilogue

Saturday, December 24, 9:32 pm

Central Police Station

"To our three great Detectives, for not letting their asses get beat by some low-life criminals!" Hank raises his glass, and the precinct lets out a raucous cheer, clapping you on the back and grinning brightly in your direction. You raise your own glass, and Gavin does the same from his place at your side with his arm around your shoulders. It's the Christmas eve party at the Central Station precinct, and the place looks the part. Officer Tina Chen and her new girlfriend Jenny, the ST300 that you had befriended through silent waves and warm smiles, had made the place absolutely stunning, with gold lights, Christmas trees decorated to perfection, and too many snacks and candies to count. 

"As if we'd ever die! Those fuckers never stood a chance!" Gavin's words draw out another outburst of cheering and laughing and smiling so bright. It's been exactly 39 days now since your escape, and your life has almost returned to normal again. You still wake up grateful for your life, and you're still met with the occasional nightmare but that's nothing to you because Gavin is always there. Your wounds are well on their way to healing, all casts and bandages gone, the only reminder of the events being the occasional ache in your arm. You've been spending most of your time with him, at his house, with his lovely plants and his lovely cat and Nines as well. You bump your glass of champagne against Gavin's one filled with whiskey just as the others in the room do the same, but instead of taking a sip you lean forwards and catch Gavin's lips in yours. He kisses you right back without second thought, smiling against you as you gently run your fingers through his hair. 

"Woah, Gavvy," both you and Gavin snap apart at the new voice, and you watch Gavin's face go a little bit red, "Getting freaky in front of everyone just like that?" Elijah is grinning from ear to ear, and Gavin rolls his eyes, letting out a huff.

"Shut the fuck up, Eli." Despite his words, Gavin manages a small smile. "Glad you could make it, did you, uh... bring it?" you cock an eyebrow and Gavin only smiles wider as Elijah nods his head. You were left to wonder, Gavin saying nothing and simply giving you one of his trademark wink-wonks. The night continues on with a lighthearted joy, and you feel freer than you have in a long, long time. Sooner or later, the party is starting to die out, but Gavin rises from his seat with that same grin before any of yours and his close friends could leave.

"Listen up, listen up!" he claps his hands together, and the eyes in the room slowly turn to him. "This is a first Christmas for a lot of things," he starts, his eyes scanning across the room, "It's Nines' first Christmas as a deviant," Connor smiles warmly at his brother as Gavin continues, "It's (Y/N)'s first Christmas here with us," he musses your hair gently and you bat his hand away with a laugh and a roll of your eyes, "And," his tone grows more serious, and he scratches at the nape of his neck, "It's... shit, this is gonna be cheesy..." he lets out a chuckle, his ears burning red, and he offers you his hand. "It's our first Christmas together and I wouldn't want to be spending it with anyone else." On cue, the crowd consisting of Hank, Tina, Jenny, Chris, and even Nines and Connor let out a series of 'awww' sounds. Gavin goes impossibly redder, but with a wave of his hand and a sheepish smile they quiet again and let him keep talking. You take his hand, and he helps you to your feet. "I... I love you, (Y/N), I really do, and I want to make sure I never lose that love." 

Gavin doesn't follow the cliche, he doesn't fall dramatically to one knee and draw tears from the eyes of everyone else in the room. Instead, with shaking hands, he pulls a small case out of his back pocket. Your hand lifts to ghost over your lips, and your eyes shimmer with tears. "It's not official- no, no it's way too soon for an actual proposal, but- well, they-" Gavin cut himself off with a chuckle, wiping at his own eyes with the back of his hand, "Shit, sorry, I didn't expect to get so... so emotional," you take his hand, holding it tight as a smile sprawls over your face. "They're... they're promise rings." with one hand trapped in your grasp, he flicks the box open with the other, and extends the case to you. You gasp. The ring is simple, a soft silver, a simple band with an engraving of intricate roses. You're stunned into momentary silence, choked with emotion and tears and Gavin begins to panic. His hand squeezes yours, and he lets out a sound, failing to form words. At last, he does, "I know it's kind of early and we haven't known each other for that long but you're everything to me- if it's too soon or I made you uncomfortable then you can say no and I won't-" 

"Shut up and kiss me." you don't give him time to react as you crash your lips together, pulling him flush against your chest and wrapping both arms around his neck. He's startled for no more than a second before he's kissing right back, one arm wrapping around your waist, the other on the back of your head. 

"Woooh! Go Gav!"

"That's my baby brother!!" 

"Hell yeah, get it Gavin!" you both smile against one another as your friends cheer, and your tears finally spill over. This is the first time you've cried for a good reason, and you wipe them away with a watery laugh and a toothy grin that Gavin finds entirely endearing. You offer him your hand, and he pulls the ring from the box, slipping it over your finger and pulling you in for another kiss. His lips against yours is the most natural feeling in the world. You move in sync, the kiss warm, passionate, saying mountains of words, painting a beautiful picture. The kiss says 'I love you', yes, but it also says so, so much more. It says 'I'll help you', it says 'I'll keep you safe'. It promises to be there for one another until the end of times. The taste of whiskey and rose and love is a pleasant mix, one that you've gotten used to and learned to love. When your lungs run out and you pull away, breathless, your forehead rests against his and you let your eyes stay shut.

"I love you, Gav." your words are a whisper, for his ears only, but you're certain the androids in the room could hear it. Gavin smiles, and pecks your lips with his own one last quick time. 

"I love you too, baby." 

\-----

The party had broken up, as expected, and now you were home- Gavin's house was home now to you. The ride had been calm, quiet, and pleasantly slow. Nines had unlocked the door, holding it open for the two lovers and shutting it tightly behind them. You hadn't been tired, and yet you found yourself stumbling alongside your boyfriend into the warm darkness of his room. You had both said your goodnight's to Nines, and now you wanted nothing more than to lay at Gavin's side and rest. He clicked the bedroom door shut behind him as you changed into your favourite pajamas, which just so happened to be one of Gavin's shirts. He, in turn, slipped off his fancy dress shirt and put on a pair of comfortable sweats, before pulling back the covers and crawling in at your side. You sink into the blankets with a sigh, waiting for him to shift into a comfortable position before cuddling closer and resting your head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing your nose and allowing his eyes to fall shut. 

"You had fun tonight?" you hum, knowing that parties weren't always his favourite thing. Gavin smiled, flicking one eye open and taking in the sight of you. Your hair was lightly tousled, a small smile gracing your beautiful lips. You looked so peaceful, so calm.

"'Course I did, (N/N)." To accent his words, one hand shifts to take yours, thumb lightly skimming over the ring on your third finger. The engravings are deep enough that he can feel them, feel the shapes of the roses and his smile only grows. "It was... nice, to see them all. To... give you this ring in front of all of them. Kinda scary, but..." he stretches his jaws wide in a yawn, "But I've dealt with scarier." you giggle lightly, and press your lips to his. 

"Yeah, like what?" your tone is teasing, and you continue before he can, flitting your eyes open, "Like your reflection in the morning?" Gavin can't help but roll his eyes, smiling all the same as he lets out an amused laugh-scoff.

"I hate you."

"You love me." 

"I guess I do." Gavin bumps his nose against yours, letting his forehead rest against your own as his eyes drift shut once more. Your heart swells at the feeling of him right there, next to you, the luckiest person in the entire world, human or android. No one's got anything on you. You are in love with a prickly asshole and you wouldn't wish for anything to change. Your own eyes close as well. 

"Goodnight, Gav." you murmur, fidgeting with your new ring and letting a contented smile dawn itself on your face. 

"Goodnight, baby. I love you so much." 

\-----

Christmas morning. Gavin has always disliked Christmas morning. It was a... horrible, horrible reminder that, yet again, he would be alone. It was like an award- an award for being the loneliest man on the planet. But this Christmas morning, he wasn't alone. He woke in bed and for a moment he frowned, dreading the day to come until you shifted beside him. Until he was reminded that you were here, that he wasn't alone this time. He gazed upon you, your beauty, and he thinks that you are the only thing he would ever ask for for Christmas this year. He wasn't sure exactly what time he woke, but he lay in bed, unmoving, too afraid to disturb you and the peaceful expression resting softly on your face. He lifted a hand, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, and gently traced his fingertips along your cheek. Jesus Christ, you were an angel in human form. The time slips by at a turtles pace, a pleasant slowness to start the day. He holds you close with his eyes half shut until a cool grey light stirs you from your slumber. 

"Good morning, baby," Gavin's voice is a gently coo, and he rests his hand on yours. "Sleep okay?" you hum in reply, nodding your head lightly and snuggling a little closer. The room held a slight chill; nothing overtly unpleasant, but just cold enough to draw the two closer together. "It's Christmas," Gavin leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on your nose. 

"Do... I smell pancakes?" your words are heavy with sleep, but as Gavin takes in a deep breath and the sound of even footsteps approach, both you and him know that it's true. Three gentle knocks tap against the door. 

"Come in!" Gavin calls, and the handle is twisted and opened halfway. Nines stands on the other side with a patient smile and a hand behind him back in an orderly fashion- it's a relief to see the return of the professional, kindhearted android you had known long before everything began. 

"I've made crepes- plenty of them, since Connor and Hank are coming over." Nines' LED is a gentle blue, and the coldest thing about his eyes are the colour. There isn't a trace of the malice he had held while under the effects of the virus. 

"Eli's coming too," Gavin adds, and he sees the surprise crossing lightly against your face, "Yeah, I... I wanted to try and see him more often." your surprise is wiped away and replaced by the fondness you always seemed to be looking at him with. "We'll be out in a minute, Nines." 

"Of course. Take your time. Connor will-" Nines is interrupted by a knocking on the front door, and his smiles twitches upwards, "That must be them." Nines backs out of the room, clicking the door shut and leaving Gavin alone with you again. 

"Come on, Gav." You sit up, stretching your arms up above your head. As you do, he wraps an arm around your waist, catching you off guard as he pulls you closer to him and presses your lips together. A few seconds pass, a few perfect seconds, and then you separate again. God, his kisses just... they make you feel like a teenager in love all over again. "Let's go." A glance at the clock on the bedside table reads 8:38 am, and as you rise from the bed and pull open the curtains, you see the snow falling outside. It's a proper Christmas if you'd ever seen one, the skies a grey and the sun still rising. You turn back around to see Gavin digging around in the top of his closet, finally finding what he's looking for and pulling out a white cloth bag. 

"Hey, (N/N)," He turns around and he's smiling that mischievous grin again, like the one from last night, "Look, look!" He reaches one hand into the bag, pulling out a swath of fabric- no, two swaths of fabric. He drops the bag to the floor, and sets one of the things onto the bed as he holds out the other one for full view. The moment you read what's on the front, you gasp, and then break out into a grin. On the front of of the maroon Christmas sweater, patterned with the usual Christmas patterns, were the words 'Merry Fucking Christmas'. You don't know what else you expected, and found it to be very on brand for your boyfriend. "And even better, here," Gavin picked up the other one and handed it to you. It was identical to his own. 

"Awwww, Gav! Matching sweaters!" you throw off your shirt, slipping on the sweater instead and then hurrying forwards to wrap him in a tight hug. "You're so cute." you step away only long enough to slip into a pair of leggings, and by the time that's done Gavin has also changed into a pair of jeans, and was just getting his own sweater over his head as you wrapped your arms around his own and began to head for the door. The sweaters were warm and absolutely adorable, catching the gazes of all three others as you step into the kitchen. Hank grins, and lets out a hearty laugh- mainly at the sight of Gavin in a Christmas sweater, no matter how vulgar it was.

"Shit, Reed!" he guffaws, "I never thought I'd see you in one of those ever again!" you quirk a brow, curious now, and turn to your boyfriend.

"'Again'?" you ask, and he groans as a hand goes up to cover his face. "He used to wear Christmas sweaters??" It seems 100% out of character, and 100% precious.

"Yeah, every fuckin' year!" 

"Hey, shut the fuck up old man-"

"Calm down, kids!" Nines clapped his hands, demanding attention, his expression amused as Connor chuckled beside him. Both wore aprons, and Connor held a heaping plate of crepes, void of toppings as of now. "Food is done, let's all behave ourselves." oh, how you missed Nines' humour and mother-bird personality. His eyes were gleaming and his smile was warm, such a contrast from the troubled expression he had been owning these last weeks. You slide into the seat at Gavin's table, while he takes the second chair and Hank takes the third. Connor sets down the plate, and Nines hurries over balancing a tray on one hand and holding cutlery in the other. On the tray is a selection of crepe fillings, and you wait for Nines to go on about explaining them. Before he does, Connor returns with three mugs in hand, filled with steaming hot chocolate and a swirl of whipped cream.

"Enjoy!" he grins, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he scans each face with care. "Merry Christmas, all of you."

"I'm glad to see Christmas at all." Gavin smiles back, oddly soft towards the android who he had been so hostile towards in the past. Connor's own smile is reflected right back, two times as wide before he steps back and let's Nines take over.

"Here," he points to a bowl of a pale brown cream, "This is coffee mascarpone," Gavin lets out an approving hum, "We also have a selection of fresh berries and fruits, both dark and milk chocolate shaved and melted, hazelnut spread, honey, and a vanilla powder." You lean forwards, scanning over the wide selection, your mouth already watering. 

"Shit, Nines..." Gavin nods his head, and turns to meet Nines' gaze, "Thanks so much." Nines simply nods, and the feast commences. It's a little bit chaotic, but the chaos is welcome because it's so different from the chaos you were used to. It was a familial chaos, one shared between those with a close bond. These people were your family. A wonderful family. The food was perfect, and somehow miraculously topped all the rest of Nines' cooking. You hadn't had crepes in years and you had missed them terribly. The hot chocolate was also miraculous, a creamy milk chocolate that warmed your chest and complimented the food nicely. When the crepes were all gone (the remaining three packed up for Connor to take home to Sumo), you rose from your seats to move for the living room, and once Elijah had arrive you all began to pull apart the gifts underneath the tree. 

\-----

Sooner or later the last gift was left, a long, rectangular box with Nines' name on the front. Gavin had insisted on it being opened last, though you weren't certain why. Now, it was finally time for your burning curiosity to be sated. You had been with Gavin for almost the entirety of your shopping for Nines, but this gift was not one that you recognized. It was wrapped in a sleek black paper, a white ribbon and a big, extravagant bow crowned on top. 

"Open it, Tin Can!" Gavin urged, leaning forwards slightly, his smile wide and his eyes glittering. Nines' LED was a curious yellow as he took in the anticipation shown by your boyfriend. A glance at Elijah showed that he held a similar expression, though more toned down as all of his emotions were. "Come on!" Nines finally pinched the end of the ribbon carefully between thumb and forefinger, tugging it gently so it fell from it's place around the box. Then, he pulled at the paper. It tore away with a rip, leaving in it's wake a smooth black almost identical to the paper itself, though this had two silver clips on the edge. Nines tilted his head, flicking open the latches, gripping the lid of the box- when he tugged open the lid, he gasped, and Gavin was basically quivering. 

"Woah, what!? A fucking sword?" Hank's words were shocking, and you rocketed to your feet to get a closer look as Nines pulled a stunning katana from the box. He gripped the sheath, pulling it half-off and revealing the shining blade underneath. 

"Gavin, what the hell?" you turned to him, your eyes wide, your smile unwavering. "You got him a katana?" 

"Courtesy of Eli!" Gavin jumped to his feet as well, and stepped to your side to examine it himself. "Nines, you remember that other RK900, right? Conan? The one you were transferred into the body of?" Nines looked up at Gavin, and nodded his head. "During the transfer, some of it's programming was left behind. Remember when I took you to Eli to 'make sure the transfer worked properly'?" 

"You... you were checking what new programming I had, weren't you?" Nines smiled wider. 

"Exactly!!" Gavin took your hand, his eyes darting from you to Nines to Eli to the sword and back again. "You had the katana skills- when we were walking to the recall center from that amusement park the topic came up and- Oh, I want to see you use it!!" Nines slipped the sheath back on, and nodded his head eagerly. He wanted to use it just as much as Gavin wanted to see the Terminator Ninja in action. 

"To the backyard!" Gavin's hand left yours, and he and Nines raced away, with Connor and a slightly reluctant Hank right behind.

"I'll grab some apples- let's see if you can slice them mid-air!" Connor said, and you could see him raid the fruit bowl of it's contents. 

"For the love of God- Gavin! Step back for fucks sakes!!" Hank barked out, and you can just imagine what he's seeing. Your smile softens, and you hold your hands to your chest. 

"Merry Christmas, little sis." Elijah appears at your side, placing a hand on your shoulder and offering you a calm, brotherly smile. Then, he follows the others out into the backyard, and you're left to absorb the feelings in your chest. You love these people so, so much. You suck in a breath, not noticing that your eyes had started watering, and wipe at the tears trailing down your cheeks. This was a contentedness you'd never felt before. Standing still for one more moment to register that, yes, this was all real, you moved to join the love of your life and your new family out in the backyard. Gavin's gaze met yours the moment you stepped outside, and his brows furrowed in concern. Snow danced lightly down from above, speckling his hair. He glanced once more at Nines and his sword before breaking away from the group and meeting you at the door. You take in his warm eyes, the scar bridging across his nose, the little curl that danced in front of his forehead- he pulled you into his arms at the sight of your teary eyes. 

"Baby... are you okay?" he asks into your hair, and you nod, hugging him tightly and burying your face into his chest. Yes, yes you were.

"Yes, Gav. I couldn't be happier."


End file.
